CIVIL WAR: CHECKMATE Misfitverse
by NebulaBelt
Summary: Back after a long hiatus!
1. Chapter 1

_They say that if women were in charge there would be no wars. This is a **lie**. In the early 21st Century two women stood at the heart of one of the most world-altering and potentially devastating conflicts in human history. _

_The two women, physically, could not have been any more different. One was a tall and slim; the model blond-haired, blue-eyed 'Aryan' princess from Boston: An heiress, born to a rich family and exceedingly wealthy businesswoman. She looked like a super-model…thanks to her plastic surgeon. She was also a mutant and powerful telepath. She was the (former) White Queen of the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost. _

_The other was a short, heavyset African-American woman. While not ugly, she would never be described as beautiful. She wasn't born to privilege. She had to fight and claw her way to a position of power and influence. Ultimately she became the Black Queen of Checkmate Organization and administrator of the Cadmus Program; Amanda Waller. _

_Both were cunning, brilliant, ruthless woman utterly dedicated to whatever goal they set themselves to…unfortunately their goals were totally at odds with one another. One was for ensuring the rights of mutants and the other was for the strengthening and preservation of the United States Government. The battle between them…between the White Queen and Black Queen…would shape the role super powered beings would have in our world. _

_This is the story of that conflict and its results. _

--**Chronicles of the Civil War and the Registration Act: A History** by Katherine "Kitty" Pryde (Shadowcat)


	2. Chapter 2

_"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it." _

--Rule of the Sith, Darth Bane

**THREE MONTHS AFTER THE STAMFORD MASSACRE **

It was late at night at the Charles Xavier Institute for the Gifted, currently run by Emma Frost, ex-White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Everyone was asleep…save for a single black-clad individual standing in the hallway.

The assassin stood barefoot, clad in a one-piece black outfit in the hallway. It was all silence save for the gentle tolling of the clock as it struck midnight. Utilizing every iota of skill and training available the assassin lowered their brain wave level to avoid detection by any telepaths. He was in a near-unconscious state not unlike sleep walking…or perhaps a walking coma patient. Aside from the brain waves needed to breath and walk, all other higher functions were basically shut off.

The assassin nimbly avoided all of the security cameras and laser detection grids as she made her way to their target: Emma Frost's room.

Without making a noise or leaving enough of a mental presence to be detected, the assassin crept into Emma's bedroom, once Xavier's. Drawing a vibranium knife from his belt, the assassin walked over to Emma's bed and took a deep breath.

With a quick sudden thrust the assassin jammed the dagger down into the sleeping Emma's form, penetrating her heart. Instead of a sudden gasp of death all the assassin heard was the mild comment: "There's shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage mine…"

The assassin whirled around to see Emma Frost, clad in her nightgown sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. She clapped, slowly and deliberately, before rising to greet her would-be killer.

"Still, that was an impressive display. You mask your presence well. Flawless timing. Perfect control. You have great skill of infiltration. My double would applaud your abilities...posthumously…" Emma raised an eyebrow as she ran her finger along the hilt of the vibranium knife, embedded in a life-like mannequin double. "That was vicious, dishonorable and ruthless. Excellent work. You're becoming more like me every day…Amira."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The assassin said flatly. Emma just looked at her with a knowing look. With a sigh, Amira pulled off the black mask and gave her hair a good shake. She paused for a second to put on her glasses, which she had kept in a container attached to her belt.

"What's this knife doing in my bed?" Emma asked coyly, as if she didn't know.

"Really Miss Frost it's not my business to guess how anything gets in your bed." Amira said flatly without batting an eye. "Everything always **does**, sooner or later."

"Enough." Emma said shortly as she threw a bathrobe over her nightgown. "Your mission was a success I take it?" She asked as if Amira hadn't just tried to kill her.

"Yes." Amira ground out. Then she got herself under control. "King T'Challa has promised to increase Wakandan aid to the mutants of Genosha…medical supplies, food, medical techniques to undo the mutate-process…and weapons."

"That **is** good news." Emma nodded. "How're the rebels doing?"

"They just defeated the latest army the Genoshan government set against them." Amira reported. "The rebels will be approaching Hammer Bay within the month. And when the capital falls…"

"Genosha will belong to the mutants." Emma grinned. "Good. How'd you manage putting up with Gilaad for two weeks?"

"I didn't kill him if that's what you mean." Amira grunted. "His **one** redeeming quality is that he wants to see Genosha go down as much as I do."

"Yes, that's true…speaking of which, what's Magneto up to?" Frost narrowed her eyes.

"He's still supporting the Gene Nation rebel group in Wakanda, trying to off-set the support you've sent for X-Cell."

"The last thing I want is for Magneto to gain a foothold in Genosha." Frost grunted. "Knowing him he'll just declare it a mutants-only nation and encourage all mutants to move there…and abandon the fight for mutant rights everywhere else."

"That is his _modus_ _operandi_." Amira nodded. "The only reason Gene Nation and X-Cell cooperate within the Mutant Liberation Front is because he doesn't want to be seen as the one putting personal politics before the cause of mutant liberation." The MLF was the Genoshan umbrella organization of various pro-mutant rebel groups out to overthrow the oppressive human regime there. Emma backed a group called X-Cell, so naturally Magneto helped create the rival Gene Nation, the two biggest groups within in the MLF, even sending some of his Acolytes to help in the liberation of Genosha.

"Anything else?" Frost asked. "How're the other nations responding?"

"The Inhumans of Attilan and Prince Namor of Atlantis are also sending aid to our side." Amira confirmed. "So is Themiscyra and Ape-City. They **_despise_** the Genoshan government."

"Good." Emma smiled. "They have much reason to fear a rabidly pro-human government as any mutant. You may go now." She said dismissively as she waved her hand. "I'm going back to bed."

Amira clenched her hands, imagining they were wrapped around Frost's lily-white throat. When Emma helped start the Genoshan Revolution, she needed people—mutants—to help start it off. The heroes of the Justice League were forbidden to interfere in a country's political affairs and it was too risky dealing with villains…what with the Civil War still raging. She did want to risk being tied to them and providing the government an excuse to land on the Institute with both feet.

So who else was there? Emma turned to the 'forgotten' demographic of super-powered beings, overlooked over the last decade and a half: Soviet super-heroes. Orphaned after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, some had drifted into the criminal underworld and others had joined the Justice League. But others would not—or could not—abandon their beliefs and so sat on the sidelines for nearly two decades.

When Frost—the typical manipulate, amoral capitalist—sought to gather their aid in leading a revolution against the GenEngineer of Genosha she decided to send the one person who had a snowball's chance at convincing them: the girlfriend of the late Red Nova, son of a noted Soviet army officer who struck several telling blows against GI Joe before being killed.

Of course, the details—that he was duped into attacking the Joes (thanks to Frost) on behalf of the Hellfire Club (a group composed of horrible business leaders who spent most of their time fantasizing about world conquest)—ended up getting lost in the translation. To the heroes of the former USSR and other East European satellite states, Vlad was a hero. So when his comrade came to ask for their help in toppling a government they despised anyway…

Still, the cynical huckstering of her dead boyfriend by the one responsible for his death—okay, ONE of the ones responsible for his death, Amira mentally amended—was enough for her to swear that she'd have Emma's diamond-form head as a paperweight.

This wasn't the first time Amira had tried to kill Emma in recent months. It wasn't even the second or third. Or the tenth. Or…you get the idea. Yet Emma continued to keep her around. Why, Amira had no idea. Amira reluctantly admitted that Emma was still needed but that didn't mean she was going to abandon her quest to kill her. Not by a long shot.

Still, after her attempts Amira usually found it prudent to be elsewhere for a while. So after she strode into her room and changed out of her stealth garb she rummaged through her drawers for a very special item: a teleportation watch.

She found it and put it on. Pressing the buttons she soon found herself in her usual home away from home, as she thought of it. Undressing, she sat down on the bed and climbed in it. Its occupant stirred slightly at the new presence.

"Hrrm? Wha—?" The occupant said sleepily as she opened her eyes. "Oh, hey 'mira. Back from your trip?"

"Yeah."

"Tried to kill Frost again?"

"Yeah." Amira sighed.

"Tough luck."

"Yeah…well, since you're up—" Amira grinned slightly. Her companion rolled her eyes.

"I might've figured. Still, might as well." She rolled over and threw her arm around Amira's shoulders. "Just try not to wake anyone up okay?" She whispered into her lover's ear.

Amira just grinned. "No promises Wanda."

&&&

**A/N: It's been three months since the the last story ended and a LOT has happened for our heroes. What the heck is going on you ask? Stay tuned to find out!**

**PS**

**I accidentally posted this to the end of the Civil War Prologue...It was a mistake. It belongs here. Direct Reviews here.**


	3. Chapter 3

_"Noble Perseus consulted the man-eating Graeae witches in order to defeat Medusa. Valiant Achilles fought alongside the hated Agamemnon during the Trojan War. Even my father Zeus allied himself with the giants and cyclopes when he battled the Titans. 'Tis war, friend Samuel. And at the end of the day, thy Captain is but a soldier. As such, he doth recognizes that sometimes in war, hard decisions must be made to achieve thy goal. And should that cost thee a piece of thy soul? So be it."_

_-Heracles to Sam "The Falcon" Wilson_

&&&

"Good morning everyone!" Amira announced in a chipper mood as she strolled happily into the kitchen of Misfit Manor the next morning. Wanda was right behind her. Most of the others had bags under their eyes. Pietro buried his face in his hands and banged his head against the table.

"Is it?" He moaned. "I had this…_nightmare_ about **you** violating my sister!"

"Nightmare? Is that what you're telling yourself?" Amira snorted. "Dream on. The only way last night could be a dream would be if Spiderman had came into our room last night cause I can't think of any other way those footprints got on the ceiling!"

Pietro gave an agonized scream and tried to drown himself in his morning cereal. No one tried to stop him. "Were we **that** loud?" Wanda groaned.

"You have to ask?" Althea looked at her. "Half the light-bulbs exploded in the middle of the night!" Amira smirked.

"I'm **good**. What's the latest war news?"

"Valmont was arrested last week. And Hammerhead's dead." Fred mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes. "Shot in the head."

"Old flathead? He's got a pretty thick skull." Amira noted. "How do you know he's dead this time?"

"'Cause they found his body three miles away from where his head was." Todd explained as he grabbed a donut with his tongue.

"**THAT** ought to do it." Amira blinked. "Whose side was he on again?" For the last few months the entire criminal underworld's been wracked by internal conflicts and civil war. The more open conflict was the so-called Supervillain Civil War, splitting the supervillain society—(which was basically made up of anyone who wore a mask instead of woman's stocking on their head and wasn't smart or capable enough to be a boss like Luthor, Fisk, Slade, Red Skull or the like) which was organized into the not-so Secret Society—in half. A Lex Luthor-led faction and a Gorilla Grodd led-faction battled one another all across the globe.

The more secret war was the one within the ranks of the Hellfire Club, started by Lord Imperial Vandal Savage, between members of the Inner Circle against the ambitious Upstarts for power and control. To most people who knew of it, the Hellfire Club was an old and legitimate businessmen's club.

Put them together, and it made the life of metahumans (any humans with extraordinary powers, be they magic-based, mutant-based, or other) and ordinary humans pretty damn rough.

Althea just shrugged. "He was trying to put together a supervillain army for himself. I don't really know…does it really matter?"

"Hmmm…not really." Amira admitted. "Any luck finding anything to stop Unicron?" She asked, referring to a pair of objects the pandimensional being Q had mentioned; they contained the essence of Primus, the only being to ever stop Unicron.

"With Shao-Kahn constantly sending those Cybers and Nomads and Centaurs and Shokan through dimensional rips and it gets kinda hard to do treasure hunting." Xi said as he pulled Pietro's head out of his cereal when the bubbles started to come less and less.

"Thought so." Amira sighed. Shao-Kahn began raiding Earth over a month ago. Where dimensional rips linking Outworld to Earth opened up, he'd just send in the Cybers—cyborg ninjas—to establish a beachhead sometimes supported by other Outworld races under his control. The Justice League and the Misfits kept pushing them back (certain Leaguers like Liu Kang had apparently participated in the Mortal Kombat Tournaments and were no small help in turning the tide) but still it was a strain. Especially on top of everything else.

"At least you're getting to travel, do some good." Althea commented. Amira schooled her face into an expressionless mask. As far as the Misfits—or indeed, anyone but herself, Frost, and Gilaad knew—Amira's 'missions' were to travel abroad to speak to bisexual and mutant girls in the Third World. While she did do that, her real purpose was to seek aid for the struggle for mutant rights…especially the revolution in Genosha. "Is Frost looking for them?"

"If she is, she isn't trusting us X-Men to do it." Amira answered.

"She IS aware that the fate of the world is on the line, right?" Lance looked at her. She shrugged.

"Frosty thinks we're going to come through this so she's trying to make sure that when we do, that we mutants will have our rights." Amira said. "She told us in class that the United States would enlist African-Americans as soldiers to fight in its wars—the Spanish-American War, The Filipino Rebellion, the First World War, the Second World War, Korea—and each time the government would promise that **_after_** the war, the question of Black Rights would be addressed but right **_now_** they all needed to pull together in the name of patriotism or whatever and 'do their duty.' And each time the war would end, Black troops would return after serving—often serving exemplary—and end up getting lynched by white people who didn't like the idea of blacks in uniforms or blacks with guns. She doesn't want that happening to us so she's planning ahead."

"I wish we were so confident of our chances." Althea sighed.

"Remember, Emma anticipated having the Justice League, the X-Men, you guys, and just about everyone else out there as enemies back when she was with the Hellfire Club." Amira reminded her. "Enemies often have a clearer understanding of your abilities than you do. A smart enemy does anyway."

"Oh **THAT'S** reassuring." Todd said sarcastically. "So relieves my mind to know that we have Emma Frost-Queen behind us."

Amira shrugged. "I'd take whatever backers I can get if I were you…remember what happened to General Whithalf?" Amira regretted saying that as the atmosphere suddenly turned dour and all conversation abruptly died. The nice, kindly—if eccentric and batty—US Army General had been drummed out not long after Stamford when powerful forces within the military tried to pin the catastrophe on him. Whithalf didn't go quietly. He confronted his accusers at his court martial—which was presided over by Generals Eddington, Ross, Eiling, Lazer, and Kincaid—and revealed the role the US government and military had played in botching the whole operation and keeping out the few groups capable of stopping the massacre, like the Justice League and GI Joe. Whithalf's defense, despite having been a closed session, was leaked to the press so that the entire country, hell the entire WORLD knew of the culpability the government had in the Stamford Massacre.

While it did help split opinion on the proposed Registration Act, General Whithalf was still given the boot…and the Misfits lost one of their major backers.

"Sorry." Amira said sheepishly. "Sore topic, I know."

"I heard someone around here say that Whithalf was working for Nick Fury nowadays." Fred whispered.

"Then I'd keep quiet about it!" Amira snapped at him. "If it's supposed to be a secret then for God's sake, keep silent! You don't think you're being watched? That they're not just waiting to give you guys the ax too?"

"She's got a point." Althea groaned. "Fred, keep that to yourself. In the meantime, no one else is to go gossiping about sensitive or important news."

Everyone looked at Todd. "What?"

"Let's just say that keeping secrets isn't your strong suit." Althea said diplomatically.

"Is this because I told everyone about your rash?" Todd groaned. "It's completely covered by your pants!"

"Which means that just about everyone's seen it by now?" Amira quipped.

"Still bitter?" Althea looked at her.

"Nah, I just can't resist an easy set up." Amira shrugged.

"Ah, that explains it." Pietro grumbled as he shot a glance at his sister. Unfortunately for him, she saw it.

"**DIE**!" She shrieked as she tackled him to the floor and started to throttle him. Amira looked down, shook her head and poured herself some more milk.

"I'm so glad I come here for breakfast. Pass the toast please."

&&&


	4. Chapter 4

_"Well behaved women rarely make history." _

-Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

&&&

"I hate ninjas." Amira groaned.

"Hey! I'm right here you know!" Althea said a bit testily.

"Sorry. I meant—THESE!" Amira grunted as she tossed a black and grey cyborg ninja aside. About halfway through breakfast the Misfits—and Amira—were alerted to a rip in the Earth's dimensional fabric in the mid-United States. Shao-kahn was trying to establish a beachhead. Again. Thanks to the Mass Device, the Misfits were first on the scene.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Althea admitted as she delivered a high kick to the metallic face of another cyber unit. "These things are tougher than B.A.T.s."

When Shao-Kahn first started sending his cybers through the dimensional rips to the Earth Realm, the Misfits first treated them like the stupid and easily destroyed Battle Android Troopers of Cobra. After the first engagement, they never made that mistake again. Althea rubbed a scar over her right eye. No, she'd **never** treat the cybers like B.A.T.S again.

"Then we'll just have to be tougher." was Amira's response. "Duck!" Althea ducked just in time to avoid being smacked by a flying cyber.

"Sorry!" Fred yelled as he tossed another cyber half a football field away. "They aren't very aerodynamic!"

"They're not pretty either." Pietro noted as he ran around them as they fired lasers and missiles at him, striking one another instead. Wanda hexed more of them aside, smashing them against the ground like rag dolls. Pyro cackled with glee as he melted more of them into metal puddles. Lance caused a medium sized tremor, cracking the ground beneath the cybers feet and sending several of them tumbling down into the depths.

"I wish…" Lance panted with exertion. "…That Shane and Angelica were still with us."

"Well they're **not**. Deal with it!" Althea snapped irritably. It was still a bit of a sore spot with her. About a month after the Stamford Massacre and the Xavier Institute Slaughter, Angelica and Shane had left the Misfits. They both needed more…stable environments than the insanity of the Misfits and the Joes could provide. Angelica joined the Teen Titans and Shane resumed a more civilian life…under a fake name and false identity, courtesy of the X-Corporation. It was am amicable parting of the ways. Angelica still kept in touch with Lina and the others. It wasn't an easy decision but the stress was just eating away at her. Plus her unlucky streak and accident-prone nature didn't help.

Fortunately, Todd found something to take Althea's mind off it. "I think we found the head honchos." He pointed at a yellow and red cyber of slightly different configurations.

"Sektor and Cyrax." Althea identified them. "Great. They're not mindless cybernetics. Where's Raiden when you need him?"

"Probably hitting on Storm again." Amira snorted. "Last time Shipwreck showed up in the middle of their date both Raiden AND Storm fried him."

"He was coughing up smoke for days." Althea nodded. "Still, we have to delay the Cybers until Trinity can adjust their little toy to close the dimensional rift." 

"You guys handle the cybers." Amira said. "I'll take Sektor and Cyrax."

"Excuse me?" Althea looked at her. "Since when are you a ninja? Xi and I will take them." Xi grinned toothily. He liked the idea.

"It will be my pleasure." Xi bowed. Amira looked at them sidewise.

"All right…but I'm coming too." She insisted.

"Suit yourself." Althea replied. "Okay let's go! Yo Joe!" Althea and Amira rushed at Sektor and Cyrax head on while Xi—who turned invisible—went to attack them from behind. Unfortunately, being a robotic ninja has its advantages, like x-ray vision.

"Terminate." Cyrax droned as he launched a mini-missile out of his chest cavity that struck the ground right in front of Xi. It exploded, knocking Xi off his feet and into a rocky outcropping. He banged his head and turned visible, and unconscious.

"So much for Plan A." Althea winced. "Take them!" Amira nodded.

"You got it!" Amira grinned as she hurled herself at the cybers, half a step ahead of Althea.

"Surrender or be destroyed." Sektor warned.

"Not happening!" Althea kicked at him. Cyrax moved to kill the helpless Xi. Amira tackled him from behind. "We can't fight them and protect Xi at the same time!"

"Then get him out of here!" Amira snapped.

"Are you insane? Take them both on by yourself?" Althea shouted.

"Probably." Amira shrugged as her hands went to her belt. "But I have a trick or two up my sleeve." She idly fingered a dozen small throwing knives she kept in knotted loops. Her mutant power gave her the ability to control every muscle in her body and get them to act with a swiftness and flexibility beyond anything that was humanly normal. It also gave her great hand-eye coordination. When she threw those daggers, and with as great force as she was capable of, whatever target she wanted to hit **got** hit.

As Althea moved to gather Xi up Amira charged at the cybers again, screaming and shouting, causing as much of a ruckus as she could. "Souless machines fear me! I was born in the moondark and am here to seal your doom!" Amira crowed. "Allahu Akbar! Look upon your fate! Allahu Akbar! **_ALLAHU AKBAR!_**" With that she threw a pair of her knives at Sektor, each one striking him in the shoulder.

Sektor raised his arm and fired blasts from his wrist mounted laser. Amira leaped and twisted in midair to avoid them. Unfortunately, Cyrax managed to graze her arm with one of his shots. Amira winced as she landed on her feet. "Two cybernetic ninjas against one X-Man? Hardly seems fair…" She grinned. "Perhaps if I **closed** my eyes—" She hurled the rest of her daggers at the cybers and then leaped upon Sektor's head.

She grinned manically as she perched delicately upon the evil cyborg's head. "Arabs rule, ninjas drool!" As Sektor and Cyrax tried to stop Amira as she danced on their heads, Trinity was putting the final touches on the dimensional rift sealer.

"Almost done!" Brittany shouted to Althea as the Misfits finished off the last of the cybers.

"Could you hurry up?" Amira shouted as she overheard. "This isn't as easy as I make this look!" As she stood on Sektor's head, she kicked Cyrax in the face.

"Then why are you smiling?" Wanda demanded.

"I never said it wasn't **fun**!" Amira called back.

"Got it!" Daria announced. "Let's send 'em back!"

"Let's do it!" Althea shouted as the Misfits rushed the two remaining cybers. Fred handily picked up and through Cyrax back through the rift. Amira leapt off Sektor just in time for Wanda to hex him back through too. Trinity flew over with their device—which vaguely resembled Forge's middleverse generator—and sealed the red rip that linked Outworld and the Earth.

About half a minute later, a sudden flash of lightning heralded the arrival of Raiden, god of Thunder and defender of the Earth Realm.

"Late as usual, brat of Oberon." Amira snorted. Raiden's eyes narrowed and lightning cracked through them.

"Don't start with me. I've been with Oberon and the other gods. They still don't know what objects Q referred to that might stop Unicron."

"There's only one god." Amira said loftily. "I doubt he lounges about with you phonies."

"You really **do** have a death wish—" Raiden growled.

"All right, enough!" Althea stepped between them. To Raiden she said, "Thanks again for your help. We appreciate it. Please let us know if you find anything new." Raiden nodded once before vanishing the same way that he arrived.

"Now what?" Todd asked as he looked around at the broken cybers littering the area.

"The Justice League will come and collect the remains for study." Althea said. "Same as usual." She sighed. "Sad thing; most of those cybers were probably once human." Todd and the now recovered Xi nodded.

Nearly all of Earth's ninjas were attacked and slaughtered during the first days of Shao-kahn's invasion. Those that weren't killed were forcibly converted into cybernetic units with no chance of ever becoming human again. As agonizing as it was the heroes of Earth had to fight, even destroy them. There weren't many ninjas left now.

Lina decided to change the subject. "We aren't that far from Jump City. Perhaps we should take the time to visit the Teen Titans. We can give them an update and trade notes." Althea nodded.

"All right. Let's go."

&&&


	5. Chapter 5

_"If it's illegal to rock and roll, throw my ass in jail!"_

-Kurt Cobain

&&&

For L1701E

&&&

The Misfits appeared in Jump City at the base of the Teen Titans Tower. Althea waved her hand grandly. "Ladies and whatever, welcome to Jump City! Home of the Teen Titans and…and—" she faltered. "Say, what else is this city known for?"

"Got me. I never heard of the place before the Titans moved in." Wanda shrugged.

"Me either." Lance agreed.

"I'm **still** not sure where we are." Amira admitted. "Seriously is this Eugene, Oregon or what?" Althea coughed.

"Um, let's just go inside." As they took the elevator up, they found themselves immediately greeted by one of the most dangerous creatures known to human kind.

"Oh joyous welcome friends!" Starfire squealed. "In honor of your arrival I have made the traditional Tamaranean meal, of zorxblag and finglbork!" It looked like an overgrown green booger with red and purple pus sacks, pulsating on top of it.

"Uh, Fred this is your department isn't it?" Todd asked as he turned greener. The rest of the Misfits retreated a few steps.

"Strange thing is; it looks A LOT like Kitty's attempt at lasagna." Amira blinked as she took a step back.

"You find that strange?" Lance looked at her. "**How** long have you lived there?" As Fred tried eating Starfire's cooking—which was apparently trying to eat Fred at the same time!—Robin appeared.

"Oh hey guys." He said, wincing as he noticed the 'food.' "What brings you out to Jump City?"

"Not much." Althea answered. "We were just tearing up some Cybers and decided to swing by and ask what was up with you."

"We had a shokan incursion not long ago." Robin nodded grimly. "We sent them packing."

"Is Firestar here?" Lina asked hopefully then frowned when Robin shook his head.

"No. She got assigned to the Teen Titans of San Diego." Robin explained. "We've been setting up new groups of Titans and new Towers all over the map."

"What map?" Xi blinked. Robin pointed. "Oh. **That** map." A giant, world map dominated the left wall. Dotting the map were 'T's indicating places where new Towers and new Teen Titan groups were set up: They'd spread beyond Jump City and Steel City to virtually every major city on the planet, absorbing and incorporating other teenaged superheroes, including groups like the New Mutants, Young Justice, the Ultimen, Young Avengers, and the older members of the Runaways and Power Pack. All of a sudden one of the 'T's started flashing; Robin saw it and rushed over to a computer console.

"There's trouble in Boston!" Robin said allowed for the benefit of the others. "And the rest of my team is out on patrol."

"We can get there before you could anyway." Althea waved. "What's do you say gang? One quick fight in Boston before we head home?"

"Why not?" Amira shrugged. "I'm game."

"I've eaten, so now I want to smash stuff." Fred nodded happily.

"Let's go!" Todd nodded.

"Hold on." Robin said as his hands flew over the console. "I know the Boston Tower. They wouldn't signal for help unless it was big. So I'm sending you some back up: The Teen Titan Gold Team"

"Who?" Althea asked. Robin explained.

"They're five of our best Titans. But, since none of them live anywhere close to another and—for one reason or another—can't move or abandon their prior commitments, are brought together only when they're needed; they're our A-Team."

"Can't wait to meet them. Of course, there's no guarantee we won't be done by the time they get to Boston." Althea grinned as Misfits activated the Mass Device and were away.

They reappeared in the middle of a Boston…and in the middle of a fight!

"Oh boy, look who it is." Pietro rolled his eyes. On one side were the newest incarnation of the Hellions**(1)**—the pride and elite of the Massachusetts Academy (now under the control of Brother Blood and Sean Garrison)—and the H.I.V.E. Five**(2)**.

On the other side were the five members of the Boston Teen Titans…who were known to two of the recently arrived mutants. "Oh no…" Amira groaned in annoyance. "Not **THEM**!"

"It's the Starrs and Wildfires, the SuperStars!" Lina remembered. "I saw them in a band contest back when I was with the X-Men!" **(Recall, back in Misfit Mania?) **

"Let's help them out!" Althea ordered. "Yo Joe!"

"Terrific." Amira snorted as she crossed her arms, but still followed. Despite being in the middle of a battle against enemies who outnumbered them better than two to one, a certain Kyle "Thunderbolt" Wildfire couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a shot at her.

"Hey jabroni didn't expect to see you in the middle of a fight!" Kyle taunted. "I thought you'd be too busy making love to a camel or whatever it is that you date!"

"It's not my fault that the closest thing **you** have to dating is grabbing some hot, sweaty guy's ass when you're in the ring!" Amira shot back.

"Why you little—" Kyle seethed.

"Oh no!" Lina said as she noticed them arguing. "Wallflower must be using her pheromones!"

"No, I'm not!" Wallflower called in confusion.

"Well, maybe Empath—" Kyle's brother Jake "" Wildfire suggested. Empath shook his head.

"Love to claim credit, but this isn't my work." He shrugged in false modesty.

"Nevermind." Lina groaned. Even as the Misfits and SuperStars laid into the Hellions and H.I.V.E. Five, Amira and Kyle continued to bait and taunt each other.

"—uptight, bitchy, pain-in-the-ass jabroni!" Kyle roared at her.

"—pig headed, narcissistic, mange-ridden son of a bepoxed she-goat!" Amira shouted right back. She took a breath to continue shouting but paused for a moment and grinned. "Oh, and by the way—"

"What?" Kyle asked just before a manhole cover—telekinetically thrown by Julian Keller—smacked into him.

"Duck." Amira grinned.

"—Gonna get you for that—" Kyle groaned as he got back up. "BUT FIRST I'M GONNA TEAR THESE JABRONIS A NEW ONE!"

"All right punks, you're going down!" Private H.I.V.E. exclaimed as he hurled his hexagonal-shaped shield at them.

"Hey, he's ripping off Captain America's schtik!" Amira observed as she bent around the on coming shield.

"What? That little—" Althea growled. "All right you creep, listen up: I know Captain America. He's a friend of mine. And YOU—" She said as she gave him a beauty of an uppercut that took him off his feet. "Are **NO** Captain America!"

Fred and Mammoth charged at one another, hands forward and grappled with one another in the middle of the street. Mammoth pushed with all his might but couldn't get the immovable Blob back so much as an inch. "Ah man…" Mammoth panted as he continued to strain himself trying.

"You're working too hard." Fred told him as he made a fist and hit Mammoth so hard that he flew across the street and landed in a dumpster. "Pfah. So much for **that**. He's even dumber than he is ugly!"

"Hold on there flab-bag." Ebon growled. "That animal might be dumb and ugly, but he's a _Hellion_!" He said ominously as unleashed his shadow powers to ensnarl Fred.

"Beat it you over grown shade." Kyle snapped as he used his electrokinetic powers to create a rather impressively sized fish made of electricity and pounded Ebon repeatedly in the face with it. His brother rolled his eyes.

"Jeeze…and I thought Guy Gardner was bad!" Jake complained as he used his impressive fighting skills to knock out two of Billy Numerous, um, numerous duplicates. Unfortunately there were a lot of them.

"On our way!" Amira called as she knocked another one down and moved on to the next. "Hey Xi, wanna see who can take out the most of these idiots?"

"I'm already on seven." Xi grinned as he threw himself into the fray. Amira snorted.

"Well I'm not gonna let myself be beaten **that** easy!" She exclaimed as she kicked one unlucky duplicate in the crotch and then whirled to deliver a fast high-kick right behind the ear to another one.

"So nice to see people enjoying their work." See-More said, the H.I.V.E. student wearing a powerful optical headpiece. "But so do I!" He fired an optic blast at the heroes, only to have the Starr brothers return the favor. The ever silent Kyd Wykkyd used his dark powers to aid Ebon and together they fought the Thunderbolt.

"Come on you scroz-eating nose-pickers!" Gizmo taunted as he flew around using his backpack to make metal wings and a small blaster. "You can't hit me!"

"Oh yeah?" Todd smirked as he hawked and spat at the tiny flying malcontent. Todd's slime went right through him. It was a hologram. Suddenly the air around him was full of holographic Gizmos!

"You can't hit me, you can't hit me—" They all taunted in unison as they flew around. Fed up with the annoying little pest, Darkchild raised his head to the sky and used his eye-laser to good effect, creating a wide enough blast to hit the holograms AND the real Gizmo. "**Crud**!" Gizmo said as he fell. "Oww…am I the only one using my brain here?" He shouted at the Hellions. "Use your mental powers!"

Kid Omega, a powerful telepath, started to psychically assault the Titans and Misfits. "Good idea." Empath smirked as he utilized his own emotion-based powers of manipulation. Then Wallflower joined in with her pheromones. Between the three of them, no mind would be able to stand against them. There was just one problem.

Paul and Craig Starr had the ability to hypnotize people with their eyes and thus had a certain resistance to similar tactics. "Get a haircut." Craig "Darkchild" Starr snarled as he fired a laser beam from his left eye, which was covered by a black perfect five-pointed star, something he'd had since birth. His better natured twin brother Paul "Starchild" Starr did the same with his right eye, which was covered with a similar star, save that this one was purple.

Darkchild's blast knocked Kid Omega on his back and Starchild's took care of Empath. Wallflower's pheromones, a dangerous weapon, were not so easily gotten rid of. And even with Kid Omega and Empath temporarily out of the picture, the villains still had the upper hand.

"Come on you little peasants." Laurie Garrison cooed. "Can't you take the time to smell the flowers?"

"I'd rather do some gardening!" A new voice announced and suddenly, the area right in front of Laurie turned into a blaze; burning her pheromones out of the air and ending her hold on the Titans and Misfits.

"What the—" Laurie looked up to see—of all things—a talking red fire-breathing dragon in the sky.

"Boo-yah!" Jake Long, the American Dragon smiled as he spat a ball of fire at the Hellions and H.I.V.E.rs, forcing them to scatter and giving the heroes time to regroup.

"That's the **second** time he's unexpectedly saved us from a group of Hellions." Althea smirked as she got up.

"Sure, rub **that** in my face." Amira groaned as she remembered the first one.

"What is this?" Gizmo demanded as he took to the air again, trying to blast Jake. "A freaking magic show?"

"No; and watch your mouth buster!" A red-headed teenaged girl said as she leapt on Gizmo's back. "Now Wade!" She attached a handheld communicator to his backpack and short-circuited it.

"Crud!" Gizmo said for the second time as he fell out of the sky…again. The girl performed an acrobatic leap out of the sky and using a grappling hook, swung back down to the ground. "Boo-yah."

"**Kim Possible**?" Keller exclaimed when he recognized her. "What's going **ON** here?"

"I dunno." A white-haired boy in black appeared, apparently floating in midair. "I think it's called: back-up." His eyes flashed green and he flew into Keller. Literally, he flew **INTO** Keller. Keller's eyes turned green and he raised his arm, telekinetically hurling his teammates this way and that.

"What are you doing?" Laurie screeched at him, right before she was dropped—upside down—into a garbage can.

"I-I can't stop it!" Keller shouted. Then the ghost boy flew out of him again, his possession over.

Raising a glowing green fist, Danny Phantom grinned at Keller. "I can't shove you inside a thermos but this'll have to do." He fired an ectoblast at Keller and knocked him down.

The Thunderbolt continued to fight Kyd Wykkyd and Ebon when he was suddenly reinforced. "Hey Ebon! Long time no see." A black youth in purple outfit smirked, floating on a circle of metal and purple electricity crackling around his hands.

"Static." Ebon narrowed his eyes. "Not long enough hero."

"Thunderbolt, now!" Static said as, together, the two electrokinetics blasted Ebon and Kyd Wykkyd.

Empath, who had just picked himself off the ground, looked around. "This isn't good." He gulped as he tried to slip away.

"Going somewhere?" Empath whirled to see his avenue of escape blocked by another teenager. This one had long blond hair, his face painted in white, black, and red, and carried a red Gretsch guitar. Kid Razor grinned as he thrummed out a tune. "The Kid of Rock doesn't think so!" A rainbow colored beam emanated from the guitar and slammed Empath back into a wall. Kid Razor grinned. "Have no fear, the Kid of Rock is here! Kid Razor is IN the house!"

"As **part** of the Teen Titans Gold Team, remember?" Kim reminded him with a raised eyebrow. Razor shrugged.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Don't bother me when I'm doing my introduction! You really need to relax girl…and guess what rocker is willing to provide?" Kid Razor grinned.

"Yeah, so not happening." Kim told him. "That was **SO** wrong!"

"Look," Danny Phantom said as he, Jake Long, and Static assembled with their teammates. The Misfits and Boston Titans were throwing a cordon around the beaten villains. "I flew a long way to get here so could we please wrap this up? I think the box ghost was terrorizing a shoe store when I left."

"Well that does seem to take care of things here." Static agreed.

"Guess again chumps!" Now it was the heroes turn to be surprised by a voice from newcomers as a pair of faces arrived. The first was a particularly ugly pale faced teenaged in an orange jumpsuit and sporting spiked white hair. He held in his arms a guitar and had a nasty sneer. He looked, in short, like an idiot. But he wasn't the one who challenged them.

The other one was a pale girl—ghostly pale—with lightning blue hair tied in a high pony tail. She wore black eye liner that continued down onto her cheeks and wore a black top that left her midriff and left arm bare and black pants tucked into gray boots with skulls on the front. She also carried a purple guitar covered with light blue lightning bolts the same color as her hair. She also had light green eyes…the same kind as Danny's, who recognized her immediately.

"Oh man…" He groaned. Amira and Lina recognized her as well, having seen her at the same concert where they saw the SuperStars perform.

"Oh no." Amira winced. "Not **again**!"

"That's right boys and girls!" She grinned. "Ember is **BACK**!"

&&&

**A/N: Yeah, yeah I know I know…I already used Ember to fight some of L1701E's characters before but I can't help it! I don't know of many rock-and-roll themed villains to be a challenge to Kid Razor (aside from the aforementioned Punk Rocket who sucks and is ugly) and she's just SO cool! (****http://ember37ny**

**Thanks again for the use of your characters L1701E! The Starrs, Wildfires, and the Kid of Rock, Kid Razor are NOT mine! They are his! Go read HIS fics now!**

**(1) The 'Zeta' Hellions: Empath (**_Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha_**), Wallflower (**_Laurie Garrison nee Collins_**), Scion (**_Julian Keller_**), Kid Omega (**_Quentin Quire_**), Mammoth (**_Baran Flinders__formerly of the H.I.V.E. Academy__and_** Ebon (**_Ivan Evans__ formerly of the MetaBreed of Dakota City. _

**(2): The New H.I.V.E. Five comprises of Gizmo, Kyd Wykkyd, Billy Numerous, See-More, and (since Mammoth is now on the Hellions) Private H.I.V.E. **

**(a) As a reminder, the MetaBreed and the H.I.V.E Academy were absorbed into the Massachusetts Academy.**

**Be sure to 'TUNE' in next time for the battle of the rockers! Kid Razor vs. Ember McClain!**


	6. Chapter 6

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"May you live in interesting times."

-Agent Egyptian Curse

&&&

"Is the Kid of Rock supposed to be impressed?" Kid Razor scoffed at the sight of Ember, the ghost rocker. Punk Rocket charged up to Razor, swinging his guitar as he did so. Razor didn't move until Punk Rocket was right on top of him…then with one punch sent the spiky-haired looser careening through the window of a nearby shop.

"By him?" Ember asked. "No." She thrummed a chord on her guitar, sending an expanding ghostly-green energy wave that knocked Razor down the street. "But I'm a whole different song!"

Razor climbed out of the furrow he carved into the road when he landed. Physically he was unharmed. "Okay, the Kid admits that he'll be feeling THAT tomorrow." He groaned. "But you'll be feeling this TODAY!" Razor jammed on his guitar and a rainbow colored beam blasted Ember right back. "Howdja like THAT note ya Britney-clone?"

"Nobody calls me a Britney-clone you cheap Elvis imitator!" Ember shot back.

"The Kid ain't impressed by a girl who looks like one of Ozzie's uglier daughters!"

"Why don't you make like the Beatles and split?" Ember sneered.

"Why don't **you, **you sound like Barbara Streisand after she's gone to seed!" Razor taunted.

"Neil Diamond fan." Ember threw back. Kid Razor saw red.

"Thems fighting words!" Kid Razor seethed as he twirled his guitar over his head. "You're going **down**!"

"This is a decision you're going to regret for the rest of your life." Ember grinned as she prepared her own guitar. "All **two seconds** of it!"

Kid Razor jammed out several more rainbow colored blasts at her. Ember adjusted a knob on her guitar which controlled what she could make her guitar do. Green energy waves, giant flaming red fists, a skull beam, and hypnotic spirals. Ember twisted the knob at will, sending out different blasts at the Kid of Rock.

Swinging at each other with their guitars and strumming out deadly blasts and beams with each chord they played. Green and rainbow colored energy roared past one another. It made for one unholy hell of a racket.

Amira put her hands over her ears. "I should've stayed at the Institute." She groaned.

"Could be worse." Someone next to her said. She turned around and spied a translucent blond mullet-haired _ghost_ in a silver bodysuit standing next to her. "Hi. I'm Ronnie Rocker. And you are?"

"**Very** freaked out." Amira stated. "Why are you floating next to me?"

"I'm with Kid Razor. I'm his…guardian spirit you could say." Ronnie answered.

"Oh…my…god!" Paul Starr goggled as he looked at Ronnie to Kid Razor and back again. "Kid Razor AND Ronnie Rocker? Okay, I can die now!"

"That's good, 'cause if Razor can't beat Ember we probably will." Craig looked at him.

"This is bad. This is very bad." Kim winced. "How am I supposed to fight someone whose intangible?"

"Could be worse." Ronnie shrugged. "You could be facing Korvac."

"Sorry, I don't speak fluent nonsense." Amira rolled her eyes. "Who the hell is Korvac and why should I care?"

"Well, you see—" Ronnie said right before a giant ghostly fist smacked into him and sent him careening into a wall. "Ow…I wouldn't thought that after dying I wouldn't get to feel pain anymore…I could've gone without it!" Razor looked down to see his mentor take the blast Ember had sent his way.

"Oh that's it!" Razor fumed. "You're going **down**!"

"Bring it you bargain-basement, high-school dance performing poser!" Ember sneered.

"Raaagh!"

"Arrrrrgh!"

Razor and Ember charged each other, swinging their guitars like battle-axes. They collided with an explosion of light and sound.

&&&

Rahne Sinclair prowled through the woods just outside Bayville in her wolf form. She sniffed the air as the howls grew even louder. "They're getting close. Too close." Rahne thought to herself as she started running. She ran through the trees, catching sight of her hunters out of the corner of her eye. They were on either side of her now.

One of them leaped in front of her; it was a wolf only slightly smaller than her. It opened up its mouth and said: "Gotcha Rahne! We win! We win!" Rahne smiled a bit as she said in wolf-speak;

"Yes, you did Darien. Nice job everyone!" Five other wolf cubs—Theresa, Conner, Winter, Ambrose, and Blossom—joined Darien as they shouted and laughed, enjoying themselves. Unlike Rahne, who couldn't speak in her wolf form (save for what language the wolves had for amongst themselves), the six wolf cubs could converse in plain English.

They were obviously no ordinary children…they weren't even mutants like Rahne. The truth was far more strange than that. "_Rahne_!" Emma none-too-gently summoned her telepathically. "_Return to the Institute immediately!_" Rahne winced and groaned silently. She had promised the cubs parents that she could watch them for the day. This wasn't going to go over well. "All right everyone!" Rahne said as she became human. "Turn back and follow me." The cubs groaned but did as she asked, returning to their human forms. Rahne was just grateful she had managed to get them some of the clothes the Professor had made for her, the kind that transformed **with** her as she went from human to wolf and back.

Rahne led the kids back with her to the Institute. As they got inside the gates she turned to them. "All right, now I want you kids to stay in the backyard." Rahne swore that she'd never reveal the existence of those children—or the community they hailed from—to anyone. She certainly didn't want Emma Frost to find out. The kids groaned, but did as their babysitter asked. They liked her.

Rahne entered through the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. She went into the living room to find the rest of the X-Men (less Amira) waiting for her. "What's up?"

"Rahne where have you been?" Scott groaned. "We've been waiting for fifteen minutes! I know you got a job babysitting, but X-Men business comes first."

"All right, I'm sorry. But what business are we talking about here?" Rahne asked as she sat down on the couch.

"This news." Rahne turned around to see Emma Frost in her new—if still skimpy—white uniform come down the stairs. Even after three months there was still the more than occasional glower at Emma's inserting herself into X-Men business. Her being in charge of the Institute still rankled. It was the best course of action since the Professor still in a coma.

Additionally, Emma wasn't publicly known to be a mutant. As far as the masses knew, she was the headmistresses of the very prestigious Massachusetts Academy (also not known to be a mutant school, especially not an evil one) who had been 'invited' to become Headmistress of the Xavier Institute to 'reign in the insanity.' Her mutant abilities—and her status as the X-Men's guiding hand—were unknown to the outside world. The X-Men (both the students and the staff) hated the deception and hated her 'usurpation' of Xavier—as they saw it—but recognized long ago that there was no one even a quarter as suited to the position as she was. They respected her abilities, but didn't have to like it. Or her.

In Emma's hand was a videotape. "This was on the news." She explained as she put the tape in the VCR. It was a news conference featuring Graydon Creed, president of the Friends of Humanity.

Rogue groaned. "Great. My least-favorite relative."

"That's no small statement." Kurt moaned. Creed was in mid-rant.

"—It is a shame and a disgrace that the great city of New York should remain infested by the scum of so-called Mutant Town! The Friends of Humanity plan to march to the center of that rat's den to show all of those freaks that we are not afraid of them! This is a **_human_** city! A **_human_** country! A **_human world_**! We bid all of you, those who don't want to see these genetic freaks take over our great society to come join us in bearding the lion in its den! And if those mutants try to start trouble I have assurances that we will be allowed to arm ourselves while we march!" He went on in that vein for a few moments, talking about the where and whens of the march and where they were meeting some other bigots when Emma muted him.

"I trust I need not explain what's going on here." She said simply.

"Creed is going to march right into the heart of Mutant Town and kill any mutant they catch and claim that it was self-defense." Jean realized. "And they'll be believed simply because of who they are."

"We're looking at a pogrom in the making here." Gilaad grunted. "The scum. We have to stop them before they march!"

"You're missing something." Emma said as she pointed to the picture, which she paused. "Look who's in the background." A pair of men stood off to the side of Creed, barely in the picture.

"Stryker." Scott growled as he recognized one, the head of Purity.

"Yeah, but whose the other guy?" Logan glowered.

"Hansel." A gruff voice answered from behind them. Rahne felt her heart sink as everyone turned around to see a stern looking figure with a five o'clock shadow, thick eyebrows, and brown hair puffing on a smelly cigar standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Um, hello Mr. Wolf!" Rahne gulped. "Um, the kids are out back. I'll take you to them—"

"Rahne who is this guy?" Logan demanded.

"His name is Bigby Wolf. He's just the father of some of the kids I baby-sit." She explained, hoping that would be the end of it. It wasn't. Logan narrowed his eyes and looked at Wolf. He sniffed the air and growled.

"What is it?" Scott asked.

"This guy doesn't smell right. He ain't human."

"You don't smell like a bucket of roses yourself bub." Wolf snorted.

"Yeah…how'd he get through the gates without showing up on the security system?" Forge wondered. Rahne covered her eyes. She knew where this was going. Jean closed her eyes and tried to gently probe his mind without his knowledge. It didn't work. His gaze wondered over to Jean—and Emma, indicating she had a similar idea—and narrowed his eyes.

"Keep **out** of my head…unless you want me to remove **yours**." Bigby said in such a low, yet measured tone that left no doubt that he could and would do just what he said.

"I don't know what you are but you have until I count to ten to leave." Scott glowered as he put his hand to his visor. "One…two…"

"**Ten**!" Logan snapped as he hauled of and slugged Bigby. Bigby staggered, but didn't go down.

"That was a BIG mistake, runt." Bigby commented as he rubbed his jaw. Logan snarled and tackled him, sending them both crashing through the kitchen window.

"I'm no runt, I'm the Wolverine! I'm the best at what I do; and what I do is—"

"Talk WAY too **much**!" Bigby grumbled as he kicked Logan off him. "So you're the Wolverine? Well guess what I am." He asked as his already gruff voice became even deeper. Coarse black fur started covering his body and his form started contorting into a new form. Plus he was getting big. **Very** big.

"Oh god." Jubilee gasped as the other X-Men ran outside. Confronting them was a large black wolf that was nearly as tall as a two-story house!

"Come on children." Bigby pulled back his muzzle in what was supposed to be a grin. "Who here hasn't heard of the Big Bad Wolf?"

&&&


	7. Chapter 7

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_"Once we were a thousand separate kingdoms, spread over a hundred magic worlds. We were kings and cobblers. Wizards or woodcarvers. We had our sinners, our saints, and our blatant social climbers. And from the grandest lord to the lowliest peasant girl, we were, for the most part, strangers one to another. _

_It took an invasion to unite us. _

_Beyond the farthest shores of never, the adversary lived in a remote kingdom, ignored by other powers as his strength and ambitions grew over the long centuries. Some say he was a mere woodland sprite, while others claim he was a god thrown down from the vast heavens when his corruptions had become too great for his lofty brethren to tolerate. _

_Whatever his origins, he grew into a dark thing of infinite hunger. And after he'd conquered his own lands, putting each of its former kings to the sword, he turned his unquenchable appetites in our direction. _

_When the Emerald Kingdom fell we tisk-tisked and tut-tutted in our homes, sad for the fates of those unfortunate souls, but we weren't tempted to intervene. After all, they were always odd folks, and ever so far away. It wasn't our business. _

_Then the Kingdom of the Great Lion fell, and again we did nothing, because we always found the old lion to be a bit too pompous and holier-than-thou for our tastes. _

_And one by one, our scattered lands fell under the Adversary's dominion, swallowed up into his ever growing empire. Had we banded together early, we might have been able to stop him. By the time that we realized that he wasn't merely interested in conquering that land or those people--that he was coming after all of us--it was too late. _

_He'd grown too powerful. _

_Many of us didn't have the chance to run. Some of us survived. Too few. Alone, or in small groups, over the span of many years--or lifetimes--we hid and ran and avoided capture. We lived as outlaws and phantoms. Until we could make our way here, to this dreary mundane place: the one world the Adversary seemed to take no interest in. _

_And here, united by our common enemy, we learned to set aside our grudges. We forgave our many grievances, to make covenant with each other. And now, predator and prey, prince and pauper, we are all of us a single community allied in our undying memory of the Homelands, and the unshakable determination that one day we will return to win those lands free of the hated one. _

_Ladies and gentlemen, lift your glasses and join me, please, in drinking this toast. _

_'To the Homelands.'" _

-Mayor King Cole of Fabletown.

(**_Fables_** by Bill Willingham)

&&&

Rahne covered her face with her hand as everything went to hell. "This is not happening this is not happening…" She groaned. "Who am I kidding? Of course it is!"

Confronted with a two- or three-story tall wolf, the X-Men took up positions to fight it.

SNIKT! "Come on doggy, time for you to get fixed!" Logan snarled as he rushed towards Bigby again. The giant black wolf didn't move. He just let Logan get closer and closer. Then—

"**Raargh**!" Logan bellowed as the wolf, faster than lightning, grabbed Logan's arm with his powerful jaws and bit down. Shaking his head back and forth, Bigby released him and sent Logan flying away like a rag doll. His claws bit into the trunk of a nearby tree about halfway up. But to his annoyance Logan found that he couldn't pull them out again; they were in too deep. "Aww come on!" Logan grunted as he tugged and pulled.

Storm flew above the monstrous wolf. "Let the arctic winds chill your fiery temper!" She called forth powerful gusts of wind to batter Bigby with…none of them would touch him. They all bent around him causing nothing more than a slight ruffling of his fur.

He snorted. "You don't read many fables do you? Using **wind** against the Big Bad Wolf? Are you crazy? I'm the freaking son of the North Wind for crying out loud! No little gust is gonna stop me! Hell, all the winds bow to **my** will. Now if it's a storm your after," Bigby grinned. "Prepare for the old 'Huff-and-Puff!'" Taking a deep breath, Bigby blew. A mighty gale roared forth and caught Storm up in its wake, sending her off into the trees behind the Institute too.

Rahne shook her head as the other X-Men moved in. "This is **SO** clichéd."

"Watcha mean furtop?" Tabby asked her. The New Mutants hadn't charged out into the field yet. Emma was keeping them back as she tried to attack Bigby's mind. So far, it didn't look like she was succeeding.

Rahne just rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, you can't get more clichéd than this! Somebody new and unknown shows up, there's a misunderstanding or no chance to give an explanation, and suddenly you have a pointless fight between two people or groups that have no reason to be fighting at all!"

"Now that you mention it, those 'Hero on Hero' fights 'are pretty clichéd." Tabby admitted. "They were old when the Professor was young!"

"So you mean that the wolf is on our side?" Jubilee asked as she pointed at Bigby, who was busy burying Gambit up to his neck in the ground.

"**Yes**." Rahne said with exaggerated patience. "What? You think that I—someone who **turns** **into** a wolf and with a heightened sense of smell—**wouldn't** have realized that the father of the kids I baby-sit was a giant wolf? Give me a little credit here!"

"She's gotta point." Sam admitted. "Guess we kinda jumped the gun here." A sudden crash—Colossus slamming through the wall—seemed to highlight the point.

"Ya think?" Paige asked her older brother.

"So your saying that in a little while we're gonna end up on the same side as—Bigby was it?—anyway so fighting him now really doesn't make any sense." Gilaad shrugged. "Suits me anyway. My powers don't do anything in this fight, except maybe tell me where he's been and somehow—" He winced as he saw Bigby glare his giant fangs. "—I don't think I really **want** to know. Besides, I'm all out of silver bullets."

"What about you Sharon?" Rahne asked her.

"Catseye not like giant wolf-dogs." She gulped.

"Understandable." Rahne allowed as Bigby snapped at the air as Rogue flew around his head.

"Let's give them another five minutes then we'll break it up." Sam sighed. "In the meantime let's have a snack."

"Shouldn't we try to break it up now?" Jamie asked, flanked by Naomi and Penny. Sam shook his head.

"Do you really want to get in the middle of them right now?" He asked as Scott fired an optic blast at Bigby's flank, doing little more than making him even **madder**. Jamie shook his head. "Thought not." Sam nodded. "Maybe it'll teach them a lesson about being so hot-headed and impulsive."

"One can dream I suppose." Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"Hold on a sec." Rahne called. "Come on in kids! Snack time!"

"Yay!"

The New Mutants looked on with varying expressions of confusion as half a-dozen kids ran into the Institute. "They're Bigby's kids." Rahne explained. "Come on."

&&&

About ten minutes after the New Mutants and Bigby's children came inside the bedraggled X-Men limped in. Bigby—back in his human form and look none the worse for wear—came in a minute after them.

"We decided to talk—" Scott started.

"About time." Rahne snorted, unimpressed. "Mr. Wolf was that **really** necessary?"

"They started it kid." Bigby shrugged. "Besides I had to see just how useful they'd be in a scrap."

"You couldn't have just watched the 6 o'clock news? We're on it at **least** once a week." Tabby raised an eyebrow. "Now that you guys are done beating each other up could someone please tell me **why** you came in the first place?"

"I came for my kids when Rahne brought them here." Bigby started. "But then I saw the news and I recognized the creep pulling Creed's strings. He's one of ours. Or was."

"Can someone please clue me in?" Kurt groaned. 

"I don't know, **can** they?" Gilaad quipped.

"Um, that might be a private matter—" Rahne started before Bigby shook his head.

"Appreciate the thought, but the cats out of the bag now." He shrugged. "My name is Bigby Wolf. I assumed you all worked out the pun by now."

"Huh?" Bobby asked.

"Bigby. Big-Bee. Big B Wolf. Big **Bad** Wolf?" Rahne spelled it out for him. Bigby rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, yes, I'm the Big Bad Wolf." Bigby started again.

"**The** Big Bad Wolf?" Kitty blinked. "The one from all the stories? The Three Little Pigs? Little Red Riding Hood?"

"**YES**." Bigby growled. "Do you mind?"

"Sorry." She winced. "I just didn't remember the wolf, er, **you** being so big in those fables."

"Things do grow in the telling." Bigby groaned. "Anyway, yes, I am a fable: one of many living in your world. We fled our own when our own were conquered centuries ago by someone we call the Adversary. Those of us that could fled threw the magical gateways connecting the Homelands to your mundane world. We settled here, not long after this continent was discovered by Europeans."

"Okay…and?" Logan asked impatiently.

"After centuries of being cutoff from the Homelands, the Adversary sent a force into New York City to destroy us." Bigby grunted. "We smashed them."

"How come we never heard of any battle in the city?" Jean asked.

"Because we took steps to ensure that no one would see or recall anything." Bigby snorted. "We've become past-masters at hiding ourselves from you mundys."

"That's Mundanes." Rahne translated for the confused looking X-Men. "Non-Fables."

"Not long after the attempted invasion of Fabletown, we struck back at the Empire." Bigby snorted. "I went back into the Homelands and destroyed the Empire's main military resource. We took the opportunity to offer the chance for peace with the Adversary—who we found out to be Gepetto the woodcarver—" Remy let out a bark of laughter. Bigby whirled on him. "You got something to say bub?"

"_Gepetto_? Your arch-enemy is an old-man who makes wooden puppets?" Remy laughed. "You _hommes_ must be pretty pathetic." Bigby grabbed him by the collar of his coat and slammed him against the wall.

"We're not your Disney fairy tales." Bigby snarled as he turned into a wolf-man form. "And I'm sure I could take all day to laugh at the fact that one of your primary enemies is a deranged man whose mad because mummy and daddy didn't love him enough when he was a kid. But the fact doesn't change that the troops, dragons, goblins, and wooden-soldiers in the Empire's—in **Gepetto's**—service has slaughtered, pillaged, burned, enslaved, and raped its way across the Homelands." Bigby shoved him hard before reverting back to his human state and continued. "Not long ago he sent one of his minions here to act as his emissary. In a cruel, calculated move he sent an ex-member of Fabletown and wanted serial killer: Hansel; The Empire's Inquisitor."

"Hansel? What happened to Gretel?" Kurt asked.

"He murdered her centuries ago." Bigby said bluntly.

"You're right, these **aren't** your usual Disney stories." Hank winced. Bigby explained.

"Ever since he burned the Black Forest Witch in her own oven he had an obsession with witches and magic. He saw himself as God's tool to eradicate witchcraft. He and his sister fled to this world too, but was horrified to discover the Black Forest Witch was here ahead of them."

"But she was burned up in her oven! All the stories say that!" Jean protested. Bigby snorted.

"Fables are a tough breed. And don't dismiss Frau Totenkinder's—the Black Forest witch's real name—strength. She might be one of the most powerful witches in your world. But because of the Amensty—the founding document of Fabletown—he couldn't burn her as he wanted to. The Amnesty forgives all debts and grudges from the Homelands; they're legally washed away as if they never existed. It's the only thing that keeps all of us from turning on one another.

So when Hansel couldn't kill her or any of the other witches or sorcerers among us Fables, he decided to journey out during your own witch-hunts in Europe. He killed hundreds, maybe **thousands** of supposed witches and devil-possessed people in Europe before returning to America when the Salem Trials broke out. He stopped by Fabletown to visit Gretel; who had been taking magic lessons under Frau Totenkinder. The next thing we knew, Hansel was bringing her body into the main office talking about a 'horrible accident' where his sister had broken her neck. We kicked Hansel out for good not long afterwards and he made his way back to the Homelands and into the Adversary's service."

"And now this guy is associating with Creed and Stryker…" Rogue mused. "Question is: **why**?"

"I've been keeping an eye on Hansel ever since he showed up here." Bigby said. "He's also been meeting with other people besides Stryker, like Jon Castaway and the Huntsman."

"Who're they?" Hank asked.

"They're leaders of two anti-magic groups called the Quarrymen and the Huntsclan. They're stated purpose is to exterminate all magical creatures and beings on Earth." Bigby reported. "He's brought them together with Stryker's Purity organization in a coalition. They intend to link up their fight against magical beings with Creed's FOH. They haven't exposed the magical world yet…but they intend to. Did you hear where Creed said he'd be meeting some new allies during his news conference?"

"Corner of Bullfinch and Kipling Street." Emma recalled.

"That's right in the middle of Fabletown." Bigby told them. "And if—when—the magical world is exposed we can expect a blowback as bad as what mutants faced when they were exposed. And then…"

"Everything snowballs and hits the fan." Logan finished. "Crap."

"Bingo."

&&&

"Um are you all right?" Amira asked Ronnie Rocker as the ghost shook his head and climbed to his feet. She would've offered him her hand but since he was a ghost it probably wouldn't have done much.

"Yeah, I mean what's it gonna do? **Kill** me?" Ronnie scoffed before turning back to the fight. "Hmm…Ember's tougher than I thought."

"Kid Big Mouth seems up to the challenge." Amira noted. Ronnie chuckled. "True. But I can't figure out just what the point of this all is? Why is she even here?"

"Don't look at me. Ask **her**." Amira snorted as she jerked her thumb at Ember as she smacked Kid Razor upside the head with her guitar.

"I think not." Ronnie winced. "She's one tough cookie."

"This feels like it's been going on for hours!" Kyle complained as the two battlers went back and forth.

"Yeah, it's like an Allman Brothers concert!" Ace agreed.

"What's her story anyway?" Kim asked as she walked over, along with the Misfits, and the other Teen Titan team.

"Well, Ember McLain was musician in her hometown." Ronnie started to explain. "A good one too. She was called in for all the best gigs and parties. But it got in the way of a relationship she was having and it ended. Badly. So when she was vulnerable a self-proclaimed fan put the moves on her…" Ronnie's face twisted in disgust. "When she tried to say no, he took what he wanted from her and killed her."

"You mean he—"Danny started. Ronnie nodded. "That sick, evil—!" He looked disgusted and clenched his fingers into a fist.

"I know, I know." Ronnie sighed. "After she died…before she could become the rock-star she was destined to be…everyone forgot about her. That's when her ghost returned, determined to make everyone love her again, to make sure that **everyone** remembered her name."

"That's awful." Amira winced. Ronnie looked at her.

"It gets worse. While her spirit is wandering around causing trouble, her body is out there too. It's—" At that second, Danny accidentally activated the Fenton Thermos and sucked Ronnie inside it.

"Oops." Danny winced. "Sorry."

"Oh for the love of—am I going to get to finish a single sentence today?" Ronnie seethed from inside the thermos.

Up above, Kid Razor had gotten the upper-hand on Ember. "Call it quits you ghostly hag!" Razor said as he blasted her again. "There's only one Kid of Rock!"

"Then allow me to introduce my backup from beyond." Ember grinned. From behind Kid Razor was knocked out of the sky by a loud, ghostly wail. With his heightened senses, it was absolute torture! He dropped his guitar in order to cover his ears for all the good it did them.

"Who is **that**?" Althea shouted above the din. Kim raised her Kimmunicator, specially updated to scan images and compare them to InterPol and Justice League files.

"It's Silver Banshee!" Kim shouted back. "We better do something fast because that scream of hers is **deadly**!"

"Then will someone **please** shut her up?" Amira yelled. Darkstar squinted and fired an optic blast at Silver Banshee's back, cutting her wail off. Kid Razor groaned as he unplugged his ears. The others did too.

"Thank you!" Wanda sighed gratefully as she looked at Craig Starr. Amira caught that look.

"**Hey**!"

"Sorry."

Ember looked at a point behind them all and smiled. "Okay my ghostly gang we've done what we've came for! Now let's jet!" Ember and Silver Banshee flew off into the distance, faster than anyone could follow.

On the ground, the H.I.V.E. Five and the Hellions awoke as if from a daze. When they spotted the Misfits and two teams of Titans, they decided to leave. Ebon and Kyd Wykkyd used their powers to transport them—and Punk Rocket—back to the Massachusetts Academy. "Okay, does someone want to explain what that was all about?" Lance demanded. "Why just run like that?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling I won't like the answer." Althea replied.

&&&

In the middle of Wisconsin, Ember and Silver Banshee made their reports to their boss. "You did excellent." The half ghost Vlad Plasmius grinned. "Keeping those pests distracted long enough for the Gentleman Ghost here," He nodded at the other ghost in the room. "To get the prize!"

"Which was?" Ember asked. Vlad stroked the cover.

"Something that'll hold the key to ultimate power." His fingers drifted along the title. The Necronomicon.

&&&


	8. Chapter 8

&&&

_Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at. _

-Murphy's Laws of Combat #73

&&&

"Great, the ghosts got away." Kid Razor snorted. "Those punks too."

"Well it could've been worse." Ronnie told him. Kid Razor looked incredulous until Ronnie elaborated. "It could've been another Britney Spears concert." Razor winced.

"Point taken. Now let's get out of here." The Cleveland hero frowned as he looked around. "I can't stand being in Boston for a minute more."

"Hey are you insulting the Wildfire's home town?!" Kyle shouted at him. "Boston's the best city in the world! Red Sox rule!"

"Sox suck." Amira said baldly. Kyle stared daggers at Amira and started ranting about the greatness of the Red Sox. Amira ignored him. Althea just looked at her.

"You're not from this country, why would you care about baseball?" She asked.

"I **don't**. Still if I can annoy the little bastard by poking fun of his favorite team of men who get paid to hit a ball with a stick and run around, so be it." Amira shrugged.

"Ah." Althea nodded. "Still…the Red Sox do suck. They **DO**. Just thought you'd like to know." (**Just messing with ya RW! I wouldn't really use one of your own characters to defame your baseball team of choice! Really! Well, maybe.**)

"Do you hear me ya jabroni!" Kyle shouted. "The Sox rock!"

"Kyle, your lips; my ass…they should meet." Amira snorted, unpeturbed. Althea shook her head in resigned bemusement and went over to talk to the Titans.

"How you guys doing?" She asked.

"All right, all things considering." Static said as he shook some dust off his coat. "Still wish those Excelsior guys would stop bothering us."

"Excelsior?" Althea repeated. The Titans rolled their eyes.

"They're this team of ex-teen heroes who keep showing up and trying to talk us out of being heroes." Kim explained.

"They're saying that we're sacrificing our childhood and wah-wah-wah!" Craig snorted. "They're worse than those people who got abused as kids and then try to convince everyone who ever got spanked or even yelled at that they're victims too. Of course, no one **forced** them to be heroes when they were teenagers. They made the choice and now they find that they didn't want to live with it. Tough."

"That is **annoying**." Wanda agreed as she stared at Craig, not really knowing what she was agreeing to. "Why put up with them then?"

"We have to." Danny Phantom snorted. "It was only by allowing those dorks to occasionally swing by and try to 'show us the light' that the Teen Titans International was able to get official backing by the Justice League." Jake Long nodded and continued.

"A lot of heroes aren't too keen on having teenaged heroes and don't like the fact that League now recruits out of the ranks of Titans who've stopped being Teens. Some would push us out of the whole heroing biz if they could. But since we're here they figured that it's better to have us with them than against them. We still don't get a lot of respect though."

"Let me guess, Pro-Reg heroes?" Althea guessed.

"One and all." Kid Razor snorted. "They'd rather have heroes that got pumped out of some training camp that the government is starting to build in Stamford…or what's left of it anyway. 'Out of control' teen heroes scare the crap out of the Pro-Reg guys." Razor smiled. "The Kid of Rock wouldn't have it any other way."

"Naturally."

Lina meanwhile gave the SuperStars—now the Boston Teen Titans—a once over for any injuries they may've sustained before the Misfits showed up. "You okay?" She asked a down-looking Ace Starr. The feral mutant shrugged.

"I've been better." He gave a short sigh as he looked over at where the Hellions had been before they vanished.

"You upset that they got away?" Lina asked.

"That's not it. Just seeing people in Hellion uniforms brought it back to me." Ace explained. Lina's eyes opened as she remembered.

"Those four Hellions girls—the original ones—really had a crush on you."

"Yeah…now Marie-Ange and Jenny are gone." Ace shook his head, referring to Tarot and Roulette. "I know they weren't exactly nice girls or anything but…they didn't deserve what happened to them."

"No one did." Lina agreed.

"They were just teenagers!" Ace groaned. "Maybe a little stupid and confused, yes, but they had their whole lives ahead of them to change. Now…" He shook his head.

"There's still Catseye. And Monet." Lina tried to make him feel better. Ace just shook his head.

"Monet **abandoned** them. In the middle of a fight! I know that they weren't friends or anything—but they were still **teammates**!"

"Have you spoken to Catseye recently?" Lina deflected his train of thought.

"A few weeks ago…she seems to be setting in nicely at the Institute. Pass on my thanks to the X-Men."

"Well, Amira is an X-Man I'm sure you could talk to her—" Lina trailed off as Kyle went soaring past, courtesy of Amira's right-hook. Apparently he had finally said something to tick her off. "—Um, maybe later." Lina winced.

&&&

"So…just to recap?" Kurt raised his hand. "A bunch of mutant hating bigots are gonna march through Mutanttown in New York City and meet a bunch of magic hating bigots in the middle of Fabletown. They blow the whistle on the magical world and everything goes to hell in a hand basket. Have I gotten the basics down?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Bigby nodded as he took a drag on his cigar. Kitty looked at him.

"Do you like, **have** to smoke that? It's bad for your health."

"It's my life." Bigby remarked. "'sides, ain't more dangerous than putting on spandex and playing soldier."

"Great. We got two different threats to focus on and—wait where the hell is the Arab?" Gilaad asked. "I haven't seen her all day."

No one knew. Emma shrugged. Amira usually vanished for a day or so after Amira tried to kill her. She'd be back. "Great, so on top of everything else we're down a member." Scott groaned. "Figures."

"So what do we do?" Kitty asked. "Do we spilt up or—"

"No." Everyone turned to regard Emma. "I will handle the FOH. Alone."

"You?" Logan gave an incredulous snort. "Handle an entire mob of FOH goons determined to smash their way through Mutant Town? I'd ask if you were nuts but I already know the answer…"

"Logan." Emma looked at him. "Stiffle it." Logan grimaced as Emma decided to put telepathic pressure on his brain. "As for the rest of you—do what Mr. Wolf asks of you. I suspect he has a plan set in store for Purity and their allies."

"But we should—" Storm started to protest.

"—Do EXACTLY what I tell you to!" Emma snapped. "What's **your** idea? Have a throw-down with the Friends of Humanity? Let them go crying to the papers that you denied them their right to march? That you 'oppressed' them? That's what they want! The favorite tactic of bigots is to be loud, obnoxious and provocative…and then denounce anyone trying to argue with them as infringing on their rights of 'free speech!' and give them some moral high ground. **I** will handle the FOH; **my** way! You just handle the other end of the equation."

With that, Emma Frost stormed out to face down the Graydon Creed and the Friends of Humanity. The X-Men didn't know who to feel sorry for.

A moment passed before everyone returned to the task at hand. Rahne looked to Bigby. "So what do we do about Hansel and Stryker?" Brigby sniffed the air and grunted.

"I've got an idea. Come on kids, we're going on a trip."

"Watch who you're calling kid." Logan growled. Bigby wasn't daunted.

"I was hunting down prey larger than you before you people had the Industrial Revolution." Bigby reminded him. "We're going to the Farm first, to drop off my kids. Then…" He grinned and blew out a cloud of smoke and looked to Rahne. "We're gonna visit some old friends."

&&&


	9. Chapter 9

&&&

_"Man is not man, but a wolf to those he does not know."_

-Titus Maccius Plautus

&&&

"This is the most unpleasant ride ever!" Scott groaned as half of the X-Men rode on Bigby's back, clinging to his fur for dear life.

"Yeah, the fleas up here are bigger than us!" Gambit gulped.

"We can't have you landing your jet in the middle of the forest." Bigby snorted as the giant wolf ran through the night. "And **watch** it!"

By some dint of magic or skill, no one saw nor heard Bigby as he ran deep into the heart of the Bayville forest. His children remained back at the Institute with half of the X-Men and faculty.

"We're here." Bigby snorted as he crouched down to let the X-Men off.

"Eww! I'm like, covered in wolf hair!" Kitty complained. Bigby rolled an eye that was as big as her.

"Cry me a river. Now, you X-Men take up position here and be ready for anything."

"Like what?" Rogue demanded. "The creeps are going to be in New York City, not here!"

"They'll be here."

"Say what?"

"We can't have a battle with them in the middle of the city." Bigby elaborated. "So some of Fabletowns best sorcerers and witches have devised a spell to send the Hansel and Stryker's marchers here in the woods."

"So we go with you and— " Jean started.

"Weren't you listening?" Bigby growled. "You. Stay. Here. It's too dangerous for you to go where I'm heading."

"We've been told that situations have been too dangerous for us before." Scott retorted. "And, well, have you ever heard of the Boy Who Cried Wolf?" Scott asked Bigby. Bigby snorted.

"Heard of him? He lives in the apartment above mine! Loud little moron. Why?"

"Nevermind." Scott groaned. Bigby shook his head.

"You stay put. If I need you I'll let you know. Rahne, come with me. I'm going to need your help with this."

"Me?" Rahne asked. "But what—" Bigby just turned back into his human form and started running into the woods, not even stopping to wait for her. "Oh, for—wait for me!" Rahne shouted as she ran after him.

"Where—" Rahne panted as she ran. "Are we going?"

"Where we need to be." Bigby said cryptically. Then he stopped running. "Found 'em."

"Who—" Rahne started to ask before she felt her skin crawl. They were being watched. "Bigby…"

"Right on time." Bigby snorted. Snarling and growling, the wolves of Bayville emerged from the trees. The Wolf Clan had arrived.

"What have we here?" Rahne felt her teeth grind together as she recognized the voice of the wolf who said that.

"Aiden." The silver-furred wolf essayed forth and grinned at Rahne, the girl he seduced and nearly tricked into leaving the X-Men.

"Ah Rahne! Long time no see…what brings you to **our** woods?" He asked, stressing the word 'our.'

"Back off pup, she's just the messenger." Bigby curtly said as he stepped forth.

"And who would you be then?" Maximus Lobo, alpha of the Wolves, asked as he stepped forward and sniffed. "You don't smell human."

Bigby grinned. "I'm **not**." Then Bigby turned into his true form, the giant wolf that was larger than most suburban houses. The wolves crouched down, not wanting to be caught under the gaze of the most magnificent—and terrible—wolf before them.

Lobo inclined his head as a subject would to his king. "W-what do you wish of us, Great One?" Bigby looked down on him.

"The chance to show that your time spent posing as humans has not dulled your sense of self." He intoned.

"**Never**!" Lobo protested. "We are **wolves**!" Bigby grinned.

"I thought as much. There will be trespassers coming through this place. Humans, many of them armed." Bigby paused. "Destroy them."

"WHAT?!" Rahne looked at Bigby aghast. "But—"

"I'm sorry pup, but there's no other way." Bigby told her.

"This is why you didn't want the X-Men to come." She realized.

"This is Fabletown business." Bigby said gently. "Our secret must be protected. Not only will we be destroyed if we don't, but the world will have no one left to help them stop the Adversary when he sets his sights on this world. Not the WHEN **not** if. And somehow, I think you Mundy's are busy enough with would-be conquerors already."

"But—" Rahne started to protest. All of a sudden there was a sudden clamor as voices—human voices—emerged from the other side of the trees. Angry, confused…the Purist marchers and their allies.

"Magic!" Jon Castaway, leader of the Quarrymen cursed.

"Foul witchcraft!" A second man snarled. Rahne thought for a moment that it was William Stryker but in a second she identified the speaker. It was Reverend Craig—her father.

"**Attack**!" Lobo howled.

&&&


	10. Chapter 10

&&&

_It's called the grey fallacy. One person says white, another says black, and outside observers assume gray is the truth. The assumption of grey is sloppy, lazy thinking. The fact that one person takes a position that is diametrically opposed to the truth does not then skew reality so the truth is no longer the truth. The truth is still the truth._

--Michael Stackpole

&&&

Emma Frost stood in the middle of a street in the heart of Mutant Town (or District X) in New York City. It was the middle of the night and she was alone. Dressed in a trench coat and large hat, Emma was trying to be discreet. What she did next was anything but.

"_People of Mutant Town!_" Emma called telepathically, spreading her message across at least a dozen block radius. "_The enemy is at your doorstep! The Friends of Humanity are coming to burn your homes down around you and terrorize your families! Arm yourselves! Guard your homes and your families against this threat! Are you men…or are you MUTANTS?_"

By the sudden flurry of turned on lights and loud curses, Emma judged that her purpose had been no small success. But by no means over. Emma retreated into an empty alley and waited.

&&&

A full moon hovered over the woods outside of Bayville. It seemed somehow fitting. Bigby charged straight at the mob of Purists, Quarrymen, and Huntsclan; some one hundred fifty in all.

The wolves howled and bayed as they followed their dread lord into battle. Rahne stood stunned as she stood at the top of a ridge as the wolves ran into the mob. The mob was armed; indicating that they had more on their minds than just a simple march. But caught off guard most of them hesitated in taking out their weapons.

It was in that second that the wolves were at their throats. Literally.

Rahne stood shell-shocked, not sure of what to do. She never imagined a fight like this: one with foes determined to tear one another to shreds. Could it be stopped? She doubted it. Should it? She didn't know.

"If I call the others…" Rahne mused…she shook her head. If the X-Men tried to intervene, what would they do? Try to separate the two? That couldn't end well.

Those were human beings down there, getting killed…but they were on their way to kill other people. And weren't the wolves—and Bigby—as sentient and alive as any human? Granted, Rahne harbored little love towards the Wolves since they attempted to seduce her away from the X-Men…but if she tried to stop them, they'd be the ones getting slaughtered. And Reverend Craig was down there. Her father.

"I can't handle this." Rahne moaned as she covered her face with her hands and slumped to the ground. "I…just can't."

Bigby was in his element. Most of the mob focused their weapons on him, leaving them vulnerable to the rest of the wolves. Of course since none of those bullets were made of silver nor even as large as his _fleas_ they stood little chance of hurting him. Bigby lashed out with his fangs and caught one hapless Quarrymen in his mouth. He bit down, severing his spine in one CRUNCH.

Tossing the dead man aside, Bigby went back to tearing and rending Hansel's unwitting henchmen to shreds. The wolves clawed and tore at arms, stomachs, and throats. The ground grew slick with blood, most of it human.

A small detachment of Quarrymen made a break for it, running up to where Bigby left the X-Men. He would've gone after them, but he found himself stymied by the Huntsclan. Bigby wasn't worried about the masked, high-tech magic haters. "It's your funeral."

"I have slain dragons, beast." The Huntsman snarled as he raised his energy-staff.

"Join the club." Bigby snorted, unimpressed. "Only the ones I killed weren't the pocket-sized ones you're so familiar with." The Huntsman jabbed at him with his energy-staff. It stung, singing fur but doing nothing that would really hurt him. Bigby, moving much faster than his size would suggest, clamped his jaws down on the staff and jerked his head back. He was so swift, so strong, that the Huntsman's arm was torn off. Shrieking in agony, he grasped the bleeding stumpy. Bigby was on him in a flash. With a snarl and a crunch, the Huntsman was dead. The rest of the Huntsclan joined him soon thereafter.

As Bigby confronted the last of them, a teenaged girl with a long plait of gold hair emerging from the back of her mask; Bigby snorted. She was tired, battered, and bloody but she still clenched her weapon in her hand and raised it at the giant wolf. Grunting, Bigby tossed his head. "Run, kid." She was brave, but not stupid. Given the chance, the girl ran. None of the other wolves moved to stop her.

Seeing the situation well in hand here, Bigby ran off to see what had become of the X-Men and the Quarrymen.

&&&

After an hour or two, Emma saw the arrival of the Friends of Humanity marchers. Protected by police, they started marching down the street. But the street and stoops of apartments and houses were crowded with mutants; most of them armed, either with bricks and bats or the occasional gun, and none of them in a mood to be trifled with. A cordon of mutant toughs stood in the middle of the street, blocking the marcher's way.

A burly police sergeant walked up to them. "Why don't you lot clear off! These men have a right to march—"

"And we have right not to let our town be terrorized by these Nazi thugs." The lead mutant retorted. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man of African descent. Even without powers, he would've been formidable. "Turn around."

"You really want to start trouble?" The cop blustered at him. The mutant didn't look fazed in the least.

"Look around. You're not facing a crowd of immigrants who barely speak English or the usual Black or Latino kids that can't fight back. Any ONE of us have enough power to demolish your goddam goon squad. We don't want trouble with the government or the police. But if you show up playing bodyguard to guys who want to kill us all in our beds, then you're going to have trouble."

"You can't get away with messing with the US government." The cop growled at him. "They'll stomp you flat like THAT." He snapped his fingers.

"Maybe." The mutant admitted blandly. "But you won't be around to see it. Neither will your buddies. Now unless you want your chief writing to your widow and your fatherless kids about the how and why you died defending a bunch of fascist goons I suggest you get going. Now." The cop looked up into the mutant's eyes and quailed. There was no inch of give in him.

"Back to the station boys." The cop choked out.

"You chickenshit! You're buggering out on us for a bunch of _muties_?" Graydon Creed screeched at the police sergeant. As the two of them argued, the FOH crowd looked on nervously as more and more mutants made their way onto the sidewalks to watch balefully.

Growing nervous, some of the more fair-weather Friends of Humanity decided to trickle away from the rear of the march. The process went on for a good five minutes until the police sergeant shoved Graydon Creed on his ass and barked orders for his men to pull out. Creed turned and paled when he sudden realized that his march had lost a good two-thirds of its size, leaving only the hardcore FOH cadre behind him…and bereft of police protection.

"Well," The strong-voice black mutant smirked as the police cars drove off. "Let's chat."

&&&


	11. Chapter 11

&&&

_"If beings are capable of protecting others but refuse to take action to preserve their own sense of peace, they are being selfish. They place themselves and their sense of peace over the peace of others, and so they defend a philosophy instead of lives. In this way, they fail everyone. This is where their choice is evil." _

--Ylenic It'kla, Jedi Knight of Camaas; on Pacifism

&&&

In the heart of Mutant Town the diminished FOH mob found itself surrounded by a much larger crowd of ticked off mutants.

"You've had your way around here for long enough." The spokesman said to Creed. "It's time to go."

"Think again!" Creed made a move to grab the gun he kept in a holster under his arm. "What the—?" It wasn't there. The rest of FOH reached for their guns, knives, chains, pipes and other weapons to find them missing.

"Creed." The black mutant idly pointed a single finger up. Creed craned his head upwards and found himself staring down the barrel of his own gun. The air directly above the FOH mob was filled with their own weapons, aimed directly at their skulls, courtesy of some telekinetics in the crowd.

"Damn mutie trick." One of the FOH swore under his breath. The apparent leader of the mutant crowd shook his head.

"A trick? Hardly. Tricks are meant to amuse. Suffice to say, we're not amused by the presence of an armed lynch squad in our neighborhood. If we wanted to play a trick…" He nodded to the crowd. The same telekinetic(s) that were keeping the weapons afloat used their powers and as one, the pants of the FOH dropped in unison.

Loud, vicious laughter and hoots of derision floated from the crowd to the humiliated marchers. Creed looked murderous, his face purpling and veins visibly standing out against his forehead. "YOU SCUM ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS! AND **DEARLY**!!"

"Quiet." Rumbled the mutant leader. Creed's floating gun spun around and pistol whipped him upside the head. "Now we've all seen enough of your ugly mugs—among other things—" he added to general laughter. "To last a lifetime. So listen, this is how things are going to go:" He cleared his throat. "My daddy was in the Black Panthers when he was young." The mutant informed Creed. "I also had a distant cousin in the Deacons for Defense. I figure they had some good ideas. And that it's about time we **used** them and—lucky you!—you get to be the first one to get the memo. If you bastards ever try to go on a rampage through **our** homes we ain't gonna sit on our hands like good little boys and girls. We see your faces around here again, we're gonna smash them in!"

The crowd started to cheer their approval as they brandished their arms, pipes, and anything else handy at the FOH.

"And not just here in New York!" The mutant bellowed. "We're gonna get **organized** and get **armed**! We're gonna defend our own! In every mutant slum and ghetto in the country, hell in the whole goddamn world, we'll be waiting to bash your thick skulls in if you ever try this shit again!"

A fierce roar of approval emanated from the mutants lining the street, sitting on the stoops, or sticking their heads out their apartment windows. The powerful, ebony-skinned mutant just let the approval go on and on, washing over the FOH like a tidal wave.

"Now…" He growled as it finally started to die down. "If any of you scum want to leave here alive, this is what you're going to do: First, take off your shirts and leave 'em. I don't want to see your ugly symbols anymore."

The Friends of Humanity glared but said nothing. In the stony silence, the cocking of a gun was clearly heard. That helped hasten their decision to comply. They tossed their FOH-stamped shirts in a heap. At a nod from the mutant chief, a mutant with fiery hair set the pile of shirts on fire.

"Second;" He continued. "You're going to turn straight around and march out of Mutant Town with your hands up. You will not turn around and you will **not** pull up your pants." He growled, to much amusement by the crowd. "And just to make sure you comply…" One of levitated guns turned and fired, striking the ground about half a foot away from Creed. "Now git!"

The FOH mob turned around and started to run—often tripping over their own pants and falling flat on their faces, only to get up and do it again—and get the heck out of Mutant Town. They were chased by their own weapons, still shooting at their feet to 'encourage' their exodus and pelted by rocks, eggs, and rancid bits of garbage hurled out the windows by the mutants of the district.

"YOU SCUM WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Creed ranted as he hobbled/ran out of Mutant Town, shot at by his own gun and with his pants down around his ankles. "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF GRAYDON CREED!"

"Oh but we have." Emma purred from her hiding position. "We **have**."

&&&

When the sounds of carnage reached the X-Men they snapped to attention. "Stay alert people!" Scott ordered. "I don't know what's going on but I know it's gonna hit us sooner or later!"

"Is friend Rahne in trouble?" Catseye asked. Due to her experience with the Hellions, Catseye was put on the main team—Emma may have also had something to do with it. "We should go help!"

Scott took a moment to evaluate his position. Right now he had himself, Jean, Peter, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt, and Catseye with him. Everyone else was back at the Institute. He didn't have the numbers he would've wanted but he still needed to make sure Rahne was okay.

But before Scott could issue any orders, the choice was taken away from him. "Mutants!" Scott whirled around.

"Stryker." Scott growled as the 'good Reverend' emerged from the woods, accompanied by several men in armor and giant hammers.

"I should've known you abominations would help your fellow freaks." Stryker cursed, his clothes splattered with blood, mostly not his own. Jon Castaway, the Quarrymen leader, ignored him.

"Quarrymen, take them!" The armored men rushed at the X-Men, swinging their warhammers wildly.

Rogue took one blow on her upper arm. Her invulnerability offered her protection from the impact, but it still hurt. "Watch out everyone! These guys aren't kidding around!"

"No question." Peter confirmed as he took a hammerblow to the ribs. If he wasn't in his armored form he would've been a goner. "They're armed with advanced technology as well. Be on your guard!"

The Quarrymen were armed to the teeth with high-tech weaponry, making this a fairly even…and **dangerous**…fight.

Catseye turned into her feline form and swiped at an armored Quarryman. He just held his giant hammer in the way and used it to fend her off. Then he raised the hammer behind his head and prepared to bring it smashing down on Catseye. Suddenly, a black form tackled the Quarryman from out of nowhere, sending him crashing down and clawing at his exposed throat. Other figures moved to attack the Quarrymen, relieving the pressure on the X-Men.

Catseye blinked when the form turned out to be a black panther. "Who you, friend?" Catseye asked.

"I am Bagheera, the Night-Stalker." The panther said stolidly as he turned back to rejoin the fray. When another Quarryman moved to crush in Scott's head with his hammer he found himself swept off his feet by a green-skinned troll, of Three Billy Goat's Gruff fame.

"Who are you guys?" Jean asked a normal looking Caucasian man with reddish-brown hair emerged.

"To you? Friends. To them." He grinned as he sudden changed form, becoming larger, furrier, tusked, and much scarier looking. "A Beast!" With a roar he sent two more Quarrymen sprawling.

Kitty looked on in amazement as a pair of clothed, upright walking bears emerged and grabbed the massive warhammer away from another Quarryman.

"Oh look Pa." One said. "This seems much too big for him!"

"Just so Ma." The other said. "But for me…this seems JUST right!" With that the bear brought the hammer crashing down on the Quarryman's head.

Kitty was so distracted she was almost killed when another pair of Quarrymen trained their guns on her. If it wasn't for the arrival of yet another Fable, she would've been done for. "That doesn't seem fair." A young, handsome looking fable with blond hair and blue eyes remarked as he appeared clothed in a blue cloak.

The Quarrymen shot at him. The Fable threw up his arm and brought his cloak up in front of him. To Kitty's amazement, the bullets didn't penetrate. "Witching Cloak." He explained, seeing her amazement. From somewhere in the depths of the cloak, he took out a fearsome looking sword. "Now, one chance. Surrender."

The first Quarryman charged him, his hammer raised high for a crushing blow. Unconcerned, the fable almost lazily flicked his sword as the hammer came down. SNICKER-SNACK! The blade cut right through the giant hammer as if it were a ripcord going through balsa wood. It didn't even slow the blade down. The stunned Quarryman backed up a step and fumbled for his gun, buying time for his partner to sneak around and rush the fable from behind. Quickly, he jutted his sword behind him just in time for the oncoming Quarryman to impale himself on the sword.

"Vorpal sword." He explained to the dying Quarryman. "Kills in one cut. Very good against Jabberwockys." He idly tugged the sword free of the dead Quarryman just in time to see the first one charge at him again. Shaking his head, the fable swung the sword again. SNICKER-SNACK! The Quarryman toppled over. His head fell a half-second later. Severed in one stroke.

"Nice to see you still know how to handle that thing Boy Blue." Bigby grunted as he emerged out of the woods. "Is that all of them?"

"Almost." Boy Blue replied. "We still have these—" He pointed the sword at Castaway, Stryker, Hansel, and Reverend Craig who were surrounded by the X-Men…the only reason they weren't lying dead like the others.

Rahne stumbled out of the woods, followed closely by Lobo. "Rahne what's going—Lobo?" Scott gaped. "What's going ON here?"

"They're dead." Rahne said numbly, swaying on her feet. "They're **dead**."

"Whose dead?" Jean paled, fearing the worst. Then she scanned Rahne's thoughts. "Oh my god!"

"What is it, what happened?" Rogue asked.

"The wolves." Jean gulped. "They just…tore apart Stryker's marchers. They literally **tore** **them** **apart**!"

"The pup exaggerates." Lobo grunted. "There are almost fifty of them still alive. The great god didn't want them all dead though. He wanted all the Quarrymen, all the Huntsclan, and half of the Purists." He bowed to Bigby. "My pack has done as ordered."

"You listen to him?" Rogue asked in confusion. "Just like that?"

"He is a **god**." Lobo told her seriously. "The Great God of wolves. We are honored to assist him."

"You did this?" Jean looked at Bigby. "Slaughtered over a hundred people?"

"It was no slaughter." Bigby snorted. "They came armed, ready to turn their guns on Fabletown. The wolves and I just ambushed them first. Those who live by the gun should know that they can die by the gun."

"So we kill them?" Kurt looked horrified. "How are we any different than them?"

"Simple." Bigby said. "We didn't plan to go marching through their neighborhoods killing anyone different than us. We intend to live our lives and accord everyone else the same right…one they would deny to anyone different. These men were all armed and prepared to kill. If we let them go, they would come back better armed and try again."

"No room for mercy, huh?" Peter glowered.

"If someone attacks you and you decide to let them go, fine. That's your business." Bigby looked at them. "But these bastards hurt other people besides YOU. And when—not if—WHEN they go after someone weaker than you and people die because you didn't stop them when you could…guess who's responsible? **You**. Mercy to the victimizer isn't merciful to the victim. Besides, it's one thing to not slaughter a beaten opponent or kill so many of the bastards that the law lands on your rear…but the ringleaders like Creed, Stryker and that lot…no matter how many times you spare them they WILL just come back and try again and again to destroy you all. You're pity is wasted on them. Some people don't change."

"But—" Bigby cut off Scott's protests.

"But that's your call. Fine. Fable business here is almost done. Just a few loose ends to tie up. Frau Totenkinder?"

"Right here Gaffer Wolf." Out of the shadows came a frail looking old woman with long, fingers wrapped around knitting needles, a shawl on her back, and wicked looking eyes peering out behind her seeing glasses.

"Tend to the injured wolves." Bigby jerked his head to where the wolves had torn the Purists and their allies apart. "Lobo will make sure they don't try anything."

"Hardly necessary." She stated. She looked weak and frail but the old witch was deceptively strong…and none too nice. Bigby snorted.

"Then get rid of the bodies back there. I don't care how. Turn them into gingerbread or something. And get ready to send the ones still alive back." The witch sniffed and went into the forest to erase all evidence of the battle. Then Bigby turned to the four captured ringleaders.

"Hansel, consider this an official protest of the Empire's interference in Mundane affairs." Bigby snorted. "Now get out of here." The tall handsome man in black kept his face perfectly schooled as he walked way.

"That's IT?" Rogue protested. "This yahoo organized this whole thing and you just let him walk off? And you criticize **us** for being too lenient?"

"Diplomatic immunity." Bigby stated with a look like he just bit down on something rancid. "We touch him and the Empire has a _casus_ _belli_ to invade this world. Can't afford that. But the same does NOT apply to his lackeys!" Bigby whirled on Jon Castaway, William Stryker, and Rev. Craig. "Beast?"

Beast, sheriff of Fabletown walked up and grabbed Castaway. "Jon Castaway, as sheriff of Fabletown I place you under arrest for planning to commit murder and allying with the Adversary. You will be kept under guard in the Woodland Building…and then you'll meet Jack Ketch." he said, naming the infamous executioner of legend and resident headsman of Fabletown.

"You mean you're gonna…" Scott made a cutting motion across his throat.

"They are." Rahne told him. "It's what they did to the three little pigs after they led a rebellion up on the farm."

"Say wha?" Kurt looked at her.

"Long story."

Bigby coughed to regain their attention. "I'll leave Stryker's and Craig's fate in your hands. Say the word and I'll crunch their faces off."

"Well of course you shouldn't—" Scott began bug again Bigby cut him off.

"Wasn't talking to you stick." He turned his massive head to Rahne. "I'm talking to her. It's your choice pup. You know what a sick bastard Craig is. It's your call."

Rahne looked at her father. Craig scrunched up his face and spat at her feet. "Abomination! Disgrace before the Eyes of the Lord!" Then Rahne looked back to Bigby and shook her head.

"I can't…I just can't…" Bigby nodded slowly.

"Understandable. Like I said it's your call. The louses live."

"**Demon**!" Everyone whirled around when they saw Reverend Craig dive on the ground and grab one of the guns that the dead Quarrymen had dropped. He pointed it straight at Rahne's heart. "**DIE**!"

Rahne felt her eyes open just as he pulled the trigger. Something knocked her to the ground right before the bullet hit. "What—Sharon?" Catseye stood in the spot where Rahne had been a moment before arms still outstretched from shoving Rahne out of the way.

"Furfriend…all right?" Catseye whimpered, crying a little. That's when Rahne saw the bloody hole in the middle of Catseye's stomach, taking the bullet meant for Rahne.

"**NO**!" Rahne screamed as Catseye toppled over.

&&&


	12. Chapter 12

&&&

_"Do not go gentle into that good night. ... Rage, rage against  
the dying of the light." _

--Dylan Thomas

&&&

"**NO**!" Rahne screamed as Catseye hit the ground. A white-hot flash of rage took over her as she whirled and started running towards her father and would-be killer. "You BASTARD!" She screeched as she transformed into her wolf form.

Rahne didn't care that he was her father. She didn't care that she was an X-Man. She didn't care that he had drawn a bead on her and was ready to put a bullet between her eyes. All she cared about was stopping that monster…even if she had to die to do it.

Craig's finger tightened around the trigger as Rahne rushed towards him, jaws opened wide. A black flash rushed between Rahne and Craig, stopping the wolf in her tracks. When it passed Craig was one his knees screaming in pain as he cradled the bleeding stump of his right arm with his left hand. His gun arm had been torn off at the elbow.

Bigby growled as he turned around, the Reverend's right forearm and gun still clenched in his jaws. "If thy right hand offends thee, eh Reverend?" Bigby growled as he spat his bloody prize out. Craig started to rise but was batted down again by one of Bigby's massive paws.

"Catseye!" Bigby turned his head to see Jean kneeling down beside the dying girl. "I need help over here!"

"Sharon!" Rahne called as she returned to her human form and rushed beside her friend. "Oh no—" Catseye's chest still heaved with deep, sucking breaths: a sure sign that her lung had been punctured. Her face paled as she lost blood. She didn't have long left.

"**Totenkinder**!" Bigby roared. "Get out here now!" The echo had yet to fade away when the witch appeared.

"What seems to be the problem Gaffer Wolf?" She asked, coolly. Bigby jerked his head towards Catseye.

"Do something. Now." Bigby growled.

"Ah. A healing spell…I can't conjure health out of nothing." She raised a brow at Bigby. Bigby felt Craig squirm underneath his paw.

"Then take what you need." Bigby growled, his meaning clear. The witch gave a wane smile and nodded.

"Stand aside." Frau Totenkinder ordered as she approached Catseye, whose breaths became shallower and weaker yet. Totenkinder mumbled some doggerel and waved her hands over Catseye's wound. Over an agonizing minute that seemed to last for hours, Catseye stopped bleeding and the bullet hole slowly sealed up. After another minute the color returned to Catseye's face. With a sudden sharp intake of breath, Catseye sat up straight.

"Sharon? You all right?" Rahne asked. Catseye opened her mouth to answer, then turned aside and threw up.

"Since she was just shot, I'm guessing that puking is the least that she could be feeling." Rogue winced in sympathy.

"Mein gott, It's a miracle!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Nothing of the sort." Totenkinder smirked. "Just a fair exchange."

"What do you—" Jean asked as she turned around, only to pale suddenly. "Reverend Craig…."

The X-Men turned around to see what Jean was talking about. "Oh my god!" Kitty blanched as she saw Craig; his once fairly youthful face was worn and wrinkled, his hair shock white and his body much thinner than it was mere moments ago. He was still alive, but had aged decades in the span of minutes.

"What did you do?" Scott asked of the witch.

"I made a trade." She said unapologetically. "I took twenty years of his life and gave them to the girl. Life cannot be conjured out of nothing it has to come from somewhere, and since the good reverend was the cause of her injuries it only seemed fitting that he donate part of his life for hers. I gave your friend twenty more years of life. No more."

That killed any lingering since of jubilation in the air. "Catseye…only live for twenty more years?" Catseye asked, teary-eyed. "I not even get to see my fortieth birthday?"

"Oh Sharon," Rahne hiccupped as she embraced her. "I'm so sorry—if I hadn't…hadn't let the Reverend—CRAIG!" Rahne screamed as she climbed to her feet and raged at the older man. "I saved your miserable life and **this** is how you repay us? I **HATE** YOU! Ye evil, horrible wretch!" Rahne screamed and cursed, her Scottish accent growing thicker in her anger. "I ought to…I ought to—ARRR!" She growled in frustration as she punched the older man in the face, dropping him. He grabbed at his now broken nose with his one remaining hand. "You should DIE. You disgusting thing!" Rahne breathed heavily, practically hyperventilating. "Ye've never brought anything but evil into the world. NEVER!"

"He brought friend-Rahne into the world." Catseye said softly, still teary eyed as Jean and Rogue helped her up. "Please, don't kill evil man. Not over me." Rahne looked at her friend and silently cried, tears practically pouring down her cheeks.

"Get him out of here." Rahne choked out, like she could barely breathe. "Get him away from me…before I **kill** him."

Bigby nodded and turned the witch. "Get Stryker and his men gone. Back to the city. As for Craig…" He snorted. "Send him to the most unpleasant place in the mundane world that you can think of. Don't let him die. Just make him **suffer**."

"Gaffer Wolf…" The witch grinned as she started casting her spells. "It's what I **do**."

&&&

"Damn those mutie monsters!" Creed raged as he marched through the heart of New York City. Finally out of range of the mutants, his weapons had stopped firing at him and he and his men had a chance to pull up their pants. Now Creed was blood-boiling furious as he stormed back to his base of power with his men.

"When I get my hands on them, I'll, huh—" Creed threw up his hands as a sudden flash erupted in front of him. When his vision cleared Creed saw his would-be ally William Stryker and some of his Purists…but only a fraction of the numbers he promised to bring to the rally. "Stryker, what's going on? Where's the rest of your—"

"Demon!" Stryker screeched as he picked up a stray brick in his hand and dashed it against the side of Creed's head. Creed was dead before he hit the ground.

All pandemonium broke loose. Creed's orphaned followers screamed and rushed at Stryker and the Purists who in turned screamed about demons and monsters. And from the rooftops, Bigby Wolf and Frau Totenkinder watched.

"Nice work." Bigby allowed as he took a drag on a cigar. "One of your better enchantments…making the Purists see the FOH as a bunch of demons and letting the two of them bash each other's brains out."

"Weak minds are easily fooled by the most simple of enchantments." Totenkinder replied.

"Nice to see that the blond managed to take care of things on her side." Bigby shrugged, not really expecting Emma to be able to whittle down the FOH march to its smaller core membership; if she hadn't this would've been an easy one-sided fight. Now…the two sides were killing each other with no little exuberance and no clear advantage. Emma had brushed minds with Bigby when Emma attempted to use her powers against him during the scuffle between Bigby and the X-Men. They recognized one another as kindred spirits…of a sort. They each recognized in the other as someone totally driven to their goal of protecting their people—be it Fable or Mutant—and not shying away from having to be ruthless against ones enemies. Now…the FOH and Purity were at each other's throats, the Huntsclan and Quarrymen wiped out, Creed dead and Stryker…Bigby grinned as Stryker broke away from the fight and ran.

Stryker ran down an alley away from the fight. Almost from the second after he killed Creed he realized that something was wrong. It didn't take long for his fanaticism to burn its way through the dire sorcery upon him. When he saw that it wasn't a horde of demons in his path, Stryker realized what had happened and ran.

"I have to get back to the rest of my people, warn them about those monsters…" He panted as he ran. He heard the squeal of police cars informing him that cops were wading into the middle of the brawl between his supporter's and the late Graydon Creed's. "I can't afford be blamed for this." He cursed. Then he spied an open manhole and thought to use it to get away without being arrested.

Slipping down into the darkness, Stryker realized his mistake after a few minutes when he heard voices coming from all around him. Didn't…

"That's right Stryker." One voice whispered, reading his very thoughts. "Some mutants DO live in the sewers." Stryker tried to back away, but found himself surrounded by New York City's homegrown Morlocks.

"What should we do with him?" One mutant asked.

"I'll tell you what we do to him." Another mutant, one with a misshapen face snorted. "We make him suffer, as he's made us suffer. And then we kill him."

"Masque has the right idea. Let's have some fun with him before he dies." Another snickered. Stryker started to scream.

It took a longtime for him to die, so long that days later some mutants swore they could still hear the echoes.

Thus died Graydon Creed and William Stryker. Good riddance.

&&&


	13. Chapter 13

&&&

_"Euch! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"  
"Uncle, that's what ALL tea is."  
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?!" _

--Iroh and Zuko. Avatar: The Last Airbender

**(Not all these little quotes are going to be philosophical gems. You've got to expect it once in a while!)**

&&&

"Wow." Amira blinked when the rest of the X-Men came back from the woods and filled the others in on what happened. "I guess that explains why you waited for the Misfits to leave before filling me in."

"Yeah." Rogue sighed. "Didn't really want to talk about it with them anyway. Or debate the morality of it. And besides, Bigby was pretty…_explicit_ in what would happen if we told anyone about the Fables."

"Just as soon glad I was off fighting ghosts then." Amira shuddered. "Never thought I'd say that…and I mean **ever**!"

"Part of being an X-Man I guess." Rogue shrugged.

"How's Catseye?" Amira asked after a moment.

"After finding out that she only has another nineteen years, three hundred sixty-four days, twenty two hours and fifteen minutes to live?" Rogue raised an eyebrow. "How would **YOU** feel?"

Amira grimaced. "Well on the bright side, odds are against us living through the next year so it probably won't matter."

"Cheery thought." Rogue snorted. "You'd make a great therapist."

"Oh sure." Amira smirked. "I can imagine it now. 'You dreamt about **what**? You're crazy. Next patient!'"

"Still be better than Psyche-Out." Rogue shrugged. Then she paused. "You know as much as I don't like Emma, I wouldn't wish this on her. Let alone Catseye."

"You say that as if expecting that I **would**." Amira stated. "I don't have anything against Catseye." Rogue said nothing, just tilting her head questioningly. "Yeah, I hate the white witch." Amira grunted in admission. "But not **THAT** much."

"Uh-huh. And the reason I saw you sneak into her room last night with a knife was?" Rogue wondered curiously.

"You…saw that." Amira winced.

"Yeah. Now start explaining."

"I wasn't really trying to kill her." Amira sighed. Rogue looked at her skeptically. "I mean it." She added sincerely. "I tried to kill her once…maybe a day or two after she got here. I couldn't do it." She left it open to interpretation if she meant that she couldn't as in 'She didn't have the heart to be an assassin' or couldn't as in 'wasn't physically able to.' There was an awkward pause before Amira coughed and continued. "But all the attempts after that were just me going through the motions…just to see if I **could**. I wasn't actually going to do it."

"That's um…incredibly disturbing." Rogue said honestly. "And that's from **ME**!"

"I guess so." The Arab girl admitted, rubbing her glasses in chagrin. "Still…we all deal with stress differently."

"_Yeah…but most of us don't try to kill our headmistress_." Rogue thought but didn't say out loud. She sighed. "_We just go into the Danger Room and blow stuff up which is just **SO** **healthy**._"

"Emma sure was mad." Amira said after the pause dragged on for a bit too long. "If you think my anger-management habits are borderline psychotic you should've seen **her**!"

Rogue winced. Emma had ranted; she had raged. She threatened to kill—in no particular order—Reverend Craig; for obvious reasons, Frau Totenkinder; for not being able to do a better job, Scott; for being in charge when Catseye was shot, and even **Rahne**; for not killing Craig when she had the chance and then freezing when Craig aimed his gun at her. Then she turned into her diamond form and trashed the Danger Room. Even Logan and Storm shied away from Emma while her blood was up.

"Hey ladies, what's going on?" Gilaad asked as he came down the stairs.

"He calls me a lady now." Amira mused dryly. "He must want something."

"Be nice." Rogue admonished her. "It's better than being called an 'Arab bitch.'"

"That's right." Gilaad agreed. "It's not right to insult someone because of their nationality or culture. So now I just call her 'bitch.' It saves time and is more accurate description of her as an individual and not her as an Arab."

"Aww thanks." Amira returned with a smile. "If you've noticed, I've stopped referring to you as an up-tight, smug Israeli prick. Now you're just an uptight, smug prick. It really captures the **real** you."

"Thanks. You're sweet." Gilaad deadpanned.

"I guess its progress." Rogue blew her hair out of her eyes. "And you've stopped fighting in front of Naomi."

"Few things can put a scare into someone like an eight-year old Israeli girl who can turn into a dolphin." Amira said so solemnly that Rogue wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.

Then the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Amira groaned. "I mean, that I would **want** to show up at our door?"

"I'll get it." Rogue sighed as she walked over to the door and opened it. "Hel-oh! General Hawk! Why are you—?" Hawk glanced at Rogue and she fell silent. He was furious.

"Where's. Frost?" He ground out angrily. Rogue numbly pointed upwards. "Thanks." He said in an anything but polite tone as he marched up the stairs.

"What was **that** about?" Rogue asked.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say that the events of the last twenty-four hours; namely the double deaths of William Stryker and Graydon Creed, the formation of a new mutant political organization founded on the principle of armed self-defense, and the latest report of the mutants of Genosha whaling the stuffing out of the government troops fighting them." Gilaad guessed. "Just a hunch though."

"Yeesh." Rogue winced. "Could be worse though: Imagine if he knew that Bigby made the wolves transfer all their holdings in Bayville to Frost after they skipped town to go with Bigby up to the Fabletown Farm. She practically owns the whole town now!"

"He looked mad enough as it is." Amira said. "Furious even."

"And Frost's still furious over Catseye." Gilaad noted.

"Oooh, this is gonna get **mess**-**y**!" Rogue winced. "You know what we have to do?"

"Watch and place bets?" Amira guessed.

"You know it."

&&&


	14. Chapter 14

&&&

_"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others_."

--Groucho Marx

&&&

Emma Frost brooded alone in her office, once Xavier's. "_I should be pleased_." She mournfully thought in her mind as she went over the reports her agents had gathered: the Friends of Humanity and Purity organizations were collapsing without their respective leaders and that a veritable bloodbath had begun as rival would-be successors slaughtered one another, in addition to the fights and murders in the streets between FOH and Purist thugs. In short, the organized anti-mutant movement was falling apart.

In its collapse the organized pro-mutant movement (well, really just mutants) were organizing as never before. In dozens of cities across the US and even more abroad, chapters of new mutant political party based on the principle of armed self-defense were cropping up and flourishing. And looking internationally, it looked like a given that the mutant slave insurrection in Genosha would succeed in toppling the GenEngineer before the year ended.

It was great news. But Emma couldn't care less at this point. "_Sharon_…" Emma looked down. "_The best case scenario has Sharon living another twenty years. **Twenty** **years**. I'm **bound** to outlive her. Well, unless the Arab girl ever decides to go through with doing me in. Now…I might even **let** her. Devil roast you black Craig. And use your guts for garters. No parent should ever have to bury their child._"

Emma was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even sense—or hear—General Hawk storming up the stairs until he flung the door open. "FROST! What the **HELL** have you been up to?"

Snapping her head up, it took all of Emma's self-control not to bare her teeth at him. "Ah General Hawk…**do** come in."

"Don't play coy. Not now." Hawk growled out. "I'm too pissed off! Creed and Stryker were both murdered and I **know** you were behind it."

"You give me far too little—or perhaps too **much**—credit, general." Emma retorted and was partially telling the truth. Creed and Stryker were dead the second they started intriguing against Fabletown. Bigby would've seen to it if Emma hadn't. One doesn't cross the Big Bad Wolf and live.

Emma had seen into Bigby's mind during the fight between the giant wolf and the X-Men. His was a ruthless mind. She saw many things in the fell beast's past…two stuck out in her mind.

One was of Bigby slaying a dragon who was about to eat an abducted princess. 'Oh, a wonderous enchanted wolf has come to rescue me!' The princess cried as Bigby killed the dragon. 'Not exactly.' Bigby had replied. 'I've come to dinner and don't eat dragons.'

The other was Bigby interrogating one of the Empire's soldiers during its initial sweep of conquests in its campaign to rule all the Homelands. 'Why do you struggle against us?' The captive pleaded as Bigby pinned him beneath his massive paws. 'For you are the very sort of monster we are commissioned to recruit into our ranks. You could rise high in the empire, commanding legions, or more!'

'Not interested,' Bigby had growled in reply. 'Even the highest office in service to another is too low a station for me.' Then he killed him.

Emma's mind and the wolf's had connected. They concocted the plan for Creed and Stryker to kill one another and thus leave the mutant and Fable communities immune from retaliation. Their followers would turn on another—as all bigots do sooner or later—and solve **both** their problems.

True, Emma had used the planned FOH march as a rallying cry to organize the mutants of Mutant Town and jumpstart mutant political activity, but ultimately Stryker and Creed were dead men walking. Even Bigby's 'offer' of letting the X-Men choose Stryker's fate was a farce. He was dead either way. And it **was** Totenkinder's spell that made Stryker killed Creed.

Of course, since Emma couldn't reveal the existence of the Fables or their prominent role in Creed and Stryker's downfall it was only natural that Hawk lay the blame at her feet…and she couldn't exactly deny it either.

"Two men are **dead** here Frost. Yes, they're despicable racists and bigots but murdering them—"

"**I** did no such thing. And even if I **had**, it was a far more merciful end than they deserved. You saw the news video. Stryker bashed in Creed's skull. How is that **my** fault?"

"You're a telepath." Hawk glared at her. "You could've made Stryker do it."

"He wore an anti-psychic device." Emma replied, referring to the band-aid like devices that prevented ones mind from being read or controlled…of course, Emma neglected to mention that one of her dummy corporations had bought all the makers of those devices and stopped making ones that actually **work**. So when world leaders, lawmakers, government leaders, politicians and generals and the like had to replace their old worn out devices with new (but ineffective) ones…Emma repressed a smirk. Even General Hawk, who thought he was wearing a working anti-telepath device, was in fact wearing a dummy. She could read his every thought and he was none the wiser.

But what she merely said was, "I find it odd that when poor Charles was awake you would go after him for being 'soft' when it came to confronting his old friend Magneto yet whenever action is required against the likes of a Creed or a Stryker I find you jogging my elbow. Curious."

"What are you saying?" Hawk glowered.

"Nothing. Simply that you seem more than willing to go after Magneto or other mutant supremacists with hammers and tongs—and whatever else your Joes are packing—yet when it comes to **human** supremacists dedicated to the **eradication** of all **mutants** you sing a different tune." She stated simply. Hawk's face grew dark. "Have I struck a nerve?"

"Creed and his ilk have—had the legal right to establish their foul organizations. You have to **prove** that they broke the law. **Then** you can nail them in the courts."

"Ah so we leave it to the courts and the police!" Emma exclaimed. "Interesting. I'll be sure to tell your superiors the same thing next time they want the X-Men's help in stopping Magneto. After all, don't we have to **prove** that **he's** breaking the law? He's not an American citizen, so far as I know. And as much as I dislike the experiment-happy megalomaniac, he's freed countless hundreds—maybe even **_thousands_**—of mutants from concentration camps across the world. That's more than the late, unlamented Graydon Creed or William Stryker have ever done for anyone."

"_And more than you have ever done._" The words hung unspoken in the air but both knew that Emma was thinking it.

So far the conversation had been more-or-less civil. Now it started getting ugly.

"Let's cut the crap Frost." Hawk said bluntly. "Even if there isn't any evidence to link Stryker killing Creed and then ending up dead himself it still reeks of your influence. Frankly, I could care less about those two scumbags. But since their deaths coincides with talk of 'armed mutant self-defense…'"

"It's more than just talk." Emma looked at him. "Try stepping on mutantkind now and you'll see for yourself just how **much** more."

"That has never, and will **never**, be something I or GI Joe stands for." Hawk said firmly.

"Never is a long time, soldier-boy." Emma snorted. "I've learned that the US government is considering sending military aid to the Genoshan regime—no, you don't have to confirm or deny it, its enough that **I** know. I also know that they asked GI Joe to go put down the insurrection AND that you told General Eddington to 'Go to hell.' " She quoted. "Had you given any different answer you would not have made it past the Institute's defense grid." Hawk didn't reply to the thinly veiled threat in her words. All he said was.

"Whatever the government is or isn't planning in Genosha—and regardless of what my personal thoughts may be—it's not your concern. It's a matter for the State Department."

"Any action against mutantkind, anywhere and at any time, is of utmost concern for me." Emma stared back at him. "That's what this Institute is here for."

"That's strange **I** thought it was here to teach human-mutant peace." Hawk drawled sarcastically. "Something I've seen very little of since **you** took over!"

"Unless mutant rights are championed and we attain equality with the rest of humanity peace will remain **impossible**." Emma shot back. "If the Institute and the X-Men aren't here to defend mutant rights then who will? No one. Not in the whole world." Hawk started to say something but Emma cut him off.

"And by the way _general,_" She turned his rank into an insult. "It takes no little of what Gilaad would call _chutzpah_ to talk about what I've done to striving for human-mutant peace when **you** and yours helped drag Xavier's name AND his dream through the mud! Letting the Misfits come over here and bring their insanity and chaos because **you** couldn't put up with them, letting Shipwreck and the rest of your lunatic men constantly wrecking this place and turning poor Charles into a wreck and Ororo into a loose cannon! It's no wonder humans can't conceive of peace with mutants…they see what a destructive joke the X-Men have become because of **you** and shudder in horror!"

"**You're** an egomaniac!" Hawk shot back furiously. "You don't care how many people get stepped on or how many people get sacrificed just so long as **your** aims get met! I must've missed the meeting where the mutants of the world made **you** their caretaker. And given what happened to the last group of mutants you were responsible for, I doubt they would. I actually like 'your' new students for **who**, not **what**, they are. I **care** about what happens to these kids, including your adopted daughter. Do **you**?"

Emma snapped. A diamond hand clenched around Hawks' throat so fast that Hawk didn't even have time to blink.

"Get. Out." Emma ground out. "Your Misfits cretins are still free to come and go from here as they see fit. But if you ever step into this Institute again…"

"What?" Hawk said defiantly, in spite of the grip around his throat.

"You won't come out." Emma stated so simply and evenly that there was little doubt that she meant every word.

"And if you ever step a toe out of line with the law then I will be back to drag you to the cell you so richly deserve." Hawk returned evenly. "Don't go thinking yourself bigger than the country or bigger than the law Frost."

"If anything—or **anyone**—stands in the way of mutant rights I will brush them aside." Emma promised. "To quote Malcolm X. 'We declare our right on this earth...to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by **_any means necessary_**.'

It was on that note that their meeting ended.

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	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: WARNING! Following chapter contains discourses on history and politics. May be either incredibly boring or potentially incendiary (it deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). If you have a problem with the views put forward, then….well tough. You're entitled to your own views but I don't tolerate flames. Just a notice. **

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_HISTORY, n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools. _

_PEACE, n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting. _

-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

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A couple of days after the stormy session between General Hawk and Emma Frost found classes at the Institute back in session. After Emma took over the Institute classes had been a **_little_** different. "Okay class." Amira said as she sat on the teacher's desk. Gilaad was sitting behind it. "Did you all do your homework?"

"You are **so** abusing your power Rakasa." Scott grumbled.

"Zip the lip student." Amira smirked. "I'm the teacher here."

"**Co**-teacher." Gilaad reminded her with a look. Amira shrugged.

"Is this because I made you do double-time in the Danger Room yesterday?" Scott groaned.

"What do **you** think?" She looked at him crossly. Scott covered his head and moaned.

"Okay everyone," Gilaad decided to jump in. "Welcome back to '_History of Arab-Israeli Conflict_.'"

"I still can't believe Frost made you two teachers." Remy complained.

"Aww, you're just saying that 'cause you're flunking swamp-rat." Rogue grinned.

Frost had revamped the curriculum of the Institute. It still gave the basic education required by New York State, but its emphasis was on studying and formulating strategies for the cause of mutant rights.

"All these classes!" Remy complained as he looked at a list of classes Emma had put out. " '_Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X...Who was Right?' 'African-American History' 'The Struggle of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples' 'Violence vs. Non-Violence: Which Way Forward,' 'Thinking About the Civil Rights Movement' 'Peace Struggles and Conflict Resolution Worldwide,' 'Public Relations' 'Hate-Groups: What They Are and How to Combat Them,' 'How to Wage a Sustained Campaign,' 'Media Strategies,' 'Agitprop,' 'Public Speaking,' 'How to Debate'…_I liked the _femme_ better when she was trying to **kill** us!"

There were classes of African-American and Native-American history and their respective struggles, classes on studying the different tactics and strategies of various civil rights groups, and classes on peace struggles in Northern Ireland, India, Cyprus, the Balkans, Israel-Palestine, classes on civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, classes analyzing hate-groups and how to combat them, classes on how to wage a sustained campaign, on how to make your voice heard, how to debate, etc. etc.

Of course most of these classes were still in the planning stages; the Institute needed more teachers and more students…as evident by the fact that it was Amira and Gilaad who were jointly teaching the class on the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

"I think Emma still **is** trying to kill us, comrade." Peter grumbled as he poured over his notes.

"This is important Russkie." Gilaad looked at him. "Just think about our situation. How do you think humans and mutants are going to live in peace if the Arab-Israeli conflict's been going on for about a hundred and twenty years?"

"And how do you convince people to even consider peace in the first place?" Amira added. "No offense to the Professor but he was a little skimpy with the details."

"What do you mean?" Jean asked. "We're here to show people that mutants aren't to be feared. That we can coexist together and work to our common benefit."

"Sounds nice but really doesn't solve the question of how you achieve peace." Amira pointed out. "Xavier talked about building peace and avoiding a human-mutant war, but as a prominent Israeli peace activist pointed out, 'Peace is made with enemies.' Not friends."

"So, what you're saying that their needs to be a war before there's peace?" Kurt asked skeptically.

"That's not what she's saying." Gilaad shook his head. "Look at it this way: Do you think my people and hers would even be _pretending_ to talk about peace with one another if we thought we could beat them in a fight? To quote one of my countries better statesmen, Abba Eban, 'Men and nations behave wisely, once they've exhausted all other alternatives.'"

It was Amira's turn to nod. "After Israel was established in three-quarters of what was once all Palestine—and chasing out hundreds of thousands of my people in the process—my people wanted to regain our homeland. **All** of it." Amira explained. "The entire strategy of Yasser Arafat and Fatah was to act as a catalyst and provoke a war between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries to that would end up in the liberation of all of Palestine. The war happened in 1967…only even with Egypt, Syria, and Jordan on the same side, they still lost. And in 1973, Egypt and Syria went to war with Israel **again** and lost. It was only after the Arab states were defeated in 1967 and 1973 that Arafat and others in the PLO started to campaign for a Palestinian state in the territories Israel occupied in June 1967—some twenty-two percent of what was once Palestine. If we thought Israel could be defeated and all Palestine liberated, we'd probably still be pressing for that option. But it can't. So we deal with reality and strive just for a mini-state in the Occupied Territories. Well, most of us do anyway."

"Is that how it happened?" Kurt asked Sooraya, who was sitting behind him.

Holding onto her legendary patience with both hands Sooraya sighed. "I mean no disrespect…but I must remind you all, **_yet again_**, that I am **not** an Arab. I am Afghani. There was little opportunity for me to learn about the wider world from my homeland. And being a Muslim does not mean that I know the details about every dispute involving some of my coreligionists."

"Riiight. Sorry _fraulein_." Kurt winced as he turned back around. Gilaad nodded to Amira.

"It was much the same with my people." He admitted. "During the Sixties and the Seventies it was still practically taboo in my country to even **mention** that there was such a thing as a Palestinian people, let alone meet with members of the PLO—which was considered treason. We were in real denial over it. And after we captured the Golan Heights, the Sinai Peninsula, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank in 1967 we figured that we showed the Arabs once and for all that we can beat them in any fight. And after all, as we said all along, the Arabs 'understand nothing but force.' And since we were in an obvious position of strength, who needed negotiations and peace talks? We had won. As Moshe Dayan put it, 'Better Sharm-el Sheik—' an Egyptian town we captured in the Sinai '—without peace, than peace without Sharm-el Sheik.'" Gilaad quoted.

"When Egyptian President Anwar Sadat offered to recognize Israel in return for the Sinai in 1971, Prime Minister Meir ignored him. After all, why give something up if your enemy isn't strong enough to take it? And why do we need Egypt's recognition? We're strong enough to beat them and that's what counted. Right? Wrong." Gilaad said flatly as he answered his own question. "Egypt and Syria joined forces and attacked Israel in October of 1973, trying to win back the Sinai and the Golan. They lost—they knew they would lose—but it was too close a call for our comfort AND our most costly war. Our view of ourselves as unbeatable and invincible died hard. Heads rolled in Israel on account of that fiasco, believe you me. Meir and Dayan's among them. Four years later, Prime Minister Begin gave back the entire Sinai to Egypt and signed the first peace between Israel and an Arab country.

"Now, when it comes to Amira's people," Gilaad jerked his thumb at the Palestinian girl. "We still weren't ready to acknowledge the PLO or think about giving up the occupied territories until 1987 when the first Intifada started and it didn't end until 1993. That's seven **years** of rebellion, people. It cost over a thousand Palestinian and a hundred Israeli lives, but when most of my people became convinced that we couldn't hold onto the Palestinian territories—not without a price—did we negotiated with the PLO and sign the Oslo Declaration of Principles. My people—most of them anyway—realized that even if we **_could_** hold onto the territories, it would prove far too costly to do so **_and_** would mean the unremitting hostility of the surrounding Arab countries and the wider Muslim world forever. It's just wasn't worth it."

Amira nodded thankfully at his unexpected support. "Our peoples haven't accepted the solution of 'two-states for two peoples' because we grew more 'tolerant' of one another or because we realized that peace was a wonderful thing: we came to that conclusion because we couldn't beat the other guy. When his people realized that they couldn't walk over mine with impunity—"

"—and when her people realized that mine weren't going anywhere," Gilaad cut in with a glare.

"—did wide-spread acceptance of the two-state formula come about." Amira finished. "If one side thinks they're strong and the other side is weak, they're not going to feel obligated to make concessions or negotiated in good faith with them. The strong don't make peace with the weak. They just don't. You have to **force** them to come to the table."

"Da." Peter nodded as he turned to the others. "It was much the same way with my country and yours during the Cold War. If my country or yours had thought they could attack the other and win without ruining themselves in the process, they would've done so. But they couldn't. It would've been Mutually Assured Destruction. Fear of what the other side could do actually prevented the Cold War from turning into an all out shooting war. It was that realization that led to détente."

"Right. The only way, I think, for there to be peace between humans and mutants is for humans to realize that we're here to stay. And that if they ever start a race war, it'll just destroy us both." Gilaad thought out. "They don't have to love us; hell, they don't even have to **like** us. They just have to realize that they can't get rid of us without a fight that'll decimate humanity. Same for mutants about humans. Once we both accept that neither one of us is going anywhere then a genuine peace can be forged. What he have to do is just stop all the maniacs on both sides who're willing to throw the world on fire in order to try to wipe out the other."

"Wow." Kitty blinked. "You guys are a just a barrel of sunshine."

"Well **excuse** us for actually knowing something about history!" Amira threw up her hands in disgust.

"Look, I appreciate you guys telling us all this," Scott said. "But the X-Men really aren't about this. We're about peaceful coexistence."

"Excuse us?" Gilaad looked at him. "See if this sounds familiar. 'To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.' "

"Oh who said that? Another Israeli? Some Palestinian guerilla?" Scott asked.

"No." Gilaad said simply. "George Washington."

Amira licked her finger and made a mark in air. "Point for him." Scott looked at her in supreme annoyance. Fortunately, Emma frost intervened with a telepathic message.

"_Students. Come to the front doors immediately. We have a new arrival._"

"Class dismissed." Amira chirped as she beat everyone out the door.

"This is weird." Jean remarked to Scott as the others headed downstairs. "We haven't had a new student since Emma came here. She's let X-Corporation deal with most mutant youth."

"Yeah…why bring in a new student now?" Scott wondered as they made it to the front door.

"Ah, you've arrived." Emma remarked. "Finally. Students I want you all to meet the latest arrival to our school." She waved a hand and beckoned to a girl standing just outside the Institute's doors.

The girl looked friendly, but anything but normal. Her long red hair was normal enough, but when you added in the green cat-like eyes, pointed ears, striped orange fur, and tail made you begin to think that she **might** be a little out of the ordinary.

"Students," Emma said. "Meet Greer Grant-Nelson, codename: Tigra."

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**A/N: The idea of Tigra as a teen was first brought to my notice in L1701E's fics, but he's told me that HE got the idea from Ryoken1 (I think). Anyway, thanks for the idea!**


	16. Chapter 16

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_Look for me at dawning when the Earth is asleep. _

_Till each dewdrop is kissed by the day, _

_There where 'neath the rowan and alder a vigil I'll keep, _

_Every moment that you are away… _

--Song of Noonvale, Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

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"Hi! Nice to meet you all!" The girl called Tigra said as she vigorously shook Scott and Jean's hands before going around to the others. "My name is Greer but you can call me Tigra! Wow! You guys are **famous**! You've been all over the news and everything. I'm sure we're going to get along just great!"

"Bubbly _femme_, no?" Remy whispered to Rogue as the hyper-active girl went around glomping everyone.

"Yes, well…" Emma winced as Tigra went and actually hugged **her**. "Why don't I have someone show you around the Institute and where your room is. Sharon?" Emma's purple-haired (adopted) daughter stepped forward. "Tigra this is Sharon, also called Catseye. You two will be sharing a room for a while." Rahne looked at Emma in surprise. Catseye shared a room with **her**. "Rahne, I'm sure you wont mind moving out for a little while so Greer can get adjusted." Without waiting for Rahne to say a word, let alone **agree**, Emma turned back to Tigra and Catseye. "I'm certain the two of you will get along **just** fine."

Tigra's eyes went wide when she saw Catseye. "Oh wow! You've got a tail like me! Oh and I love your hair! Purple is **such** a great color!" Catseye smiled the first real smile she had in days, since Reverend Craig shot her and drastically cut her life short.

"Catseye show you around!" Sharon said as she took Tigra by the hand.

"Wait, I'll come with you." Rahne offered.

"Actually Rahne you're to watch the younger students now." Emma cut in. Rahne again was caught flat footed. "I don't want them to be taken off guard by Tigra when they meet her."

"But I—" Rahne started but Emma again didn't let her finish.

"Did it sound like I made a request?" She asked sharply before turning her back to Rahne and stalking out. Catseye missed the byplay between her Frost and Rahne. She grabbed Tigra's hand and the two cat girls fairly ran up the stairs.

The others dispersed and went their separate ways, though a few did throw the stunned looking Scottish girl a few questioning or pitying glances. Rahne was still stunned.

"Okay, what just happened here?" She wondered aloud. Shaking her head, Rahne made her way down into the lower-levels where one of the rooms had been converted into a sort of den for the younger students.

Rahne poked her head in to find Naomi and Penny sitting on the floor, watching TV as Jamie and Paige sat on the couch. "Hi." Rahne said as she stepped in. "What're you guys up to?"

"Babysitting duty." Jamie and Paige said in a bored tone of voice. They had spent much of their time since the attack on the Institute doing low-risk jobs like that. Emma didn't want to place the younger students on the front-lines.

"The kids are watching _Lilo and Stitch_ on DVD." Paige added.

"We did invite Trinity and Spyder to come over, but Spyder's busy with some sort of grenade juggling contest and Trinity said they'd rather _make_ an illegal genetic experiment than watch someone else do it." Jamie tossed in. Rahne winced.

"Fun. Anyway, listen up you guys. I've got some big news."

"Really?" Naomi asked as she tore her attention away from the movie. Penny gave a curious sounding noise and cocked her head to one side.

Rahne explained. "We've got a new student. Her name is Greer, but you can just call her Tigra. She's a sort of were-tiger."

"Cool." Jamie said. "Where is she now?"

"Sharon is showing her around." Rahne said and felt a stab of something she couldn't quite identify. "She's going to be staying in Catseye's room."

"But…isn't that **your** room?" Paige asked. "You were there before Catseye moved in, let alone Tigra." Rahne shrugged uncomfortably.

"Look, I'll…I'll see you guys around, okay?" Rahne sighed as she made her way out. Paige and Jamie looked at each other. Something was up.

As Rahne climbed out of the basement and was about to head upstairs in the hopes of catching up with Catseye and Tigra, Tabitha, Jubilee and Sam appeared alongside her. "Rahne? Can we talk?" Jubilee asked.

"I was going to try to find Catseye and Tigra—" Rahne started.

"Catseye's taking her out back. They're probably climbing trees or hunting birds or whatever it is catgirls do." Tabby shrugged. "And Frosty said that if we saw you that she wants you to help Forge organize his lab." Rahne groaned. "Good thing I don't really care what Frosts wants." Tabby continued. "So…can we have a word?"

"Um, sure." Rahne blinked as the three of them led Rahne into an empty hallway. "What about?"

"Well, Tabby and Jubilee wants to talk about Tigra." Sam said slowly. "But ah don't—"

"It's just not right!" Jubilee insisted. Tabitha nodded in agreement.

"Her moving on in like this, like our friends don't even matter!" Tabby snapped. "How much do you wanna bet that Frost just wants to bring in some new students for her to shape and manipulate and mold from the get go? Ones who never knew the Professor or how things used to work around here before the witch flew in on her broomstick and took over!"

"I'm a little lost here." Rahne looked at them. "Tigra seems like the total _opposite_ of Emma Frost. She's open, she's nice, she's…bubbly. **Really** bubbly."

"Probably just an act." Jubilee grumbled. "She's just a wolf in sheep's clothing…uh, no offense Rahne."

"None taken."

"I think Frost wants to bring in her own students until **they** outnumber **us**!" Jubilee continued. "I mean, look at how she's setting two newbies like Gilaad and Amira—who haven't been here a fraction as long as us New Mutants, let alone the first X-Men—above the others in some of her classes. And getting them placed on the main team too! Above us! Don't get me wrong," Jubilee added at Rahne's incredulous expression. "I like Amira and Gilaad, but they're just not…they're not…"

"They think more like Frost than the Professor." Tabby piped in. "How'd you like a whole school full of people like that?"

"They're entitled to their opinions," Sam defended them. "Besides, in case you haven't noticed, Amira **hates** Emma more than anyone here. 'Sides, Rina can be even more, well, ruthless than either of them."

"Guys, you're seriously giving me a headache." Rahne rubbed her forehead. "Jubilee…Tabby…no offense but I think you're making mountains out of molehills here."

"Really?" Tabby asked. "Rahne, the four of us here are the last of the original New Mutants—unless you count Jamie too. All of our friends are…gone." Her voice trembled and choked a bit on the last one but she ploughed on through anyway. "The Professor is gone too. And now we've got a new 'headmistress' with a new philosophy and bringing in new students…how much of this place is going to be left by the time she's through? The place that Ray, Roberto, A-Amara—" She hurriedly wiped her eye. "—and the others came to?"

"And Rahne?" Jubilee asked. "If we're making mountains out of molehills, then why is Frost trying to split up you and Catseye?"

"What?"

"Oh come on!" Jubilee protested. "You must have noticed! She practically threw Tigra at Catseye and then sent them off, leaving you in the dust. THEN she effectively kicks you out of your **own** room! And she keeps finding busy work for you to do while Tigra is off having fun with Sharon as you're toiling away! And Catseye is so happy to have another cat-person in the house that she doesn't even notice! At this rate Catseye will be lucky if she even **remembers** that you're her friend too and—" Jubilee realized she pushed too far when Rahne's eyes started tearing up and she started to cry. "Rahne I—"

"Shut up!" Rahne sobbed as she turned and ran upstairs. She slammed the door to her room—or will be her room until Tigra displaces her—behind her and landed face down on her bed. She buried her face in her pillow and cried, not the least because she feared that Jubilee was right.

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	17. Chapter 17

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_Nature abhors a hero. For one thing, he violates the law of conservation of energy. For another, how can it be the survival of the fittest when the fittest keeps putting himself in situations where he is most likely to be creamed?_

- Solomon Short

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"Good morning!" Greer chirped as she leaped into her chair for breakfast the next morning. "How is everyone?"

"Catseye good." Sharon said. "How everyone else?" The reaction was a tad less warm: Rahne looked down. Jubilee snorted. Tabitha rolled her eyes and Sam just covered his. The rest of the Institute crowd looked on with a sort of uncomfortable silence.

"Is it something Catseye said?" She blinked.

"Why don't we just see what's on TV." Rogue said as she put on the small portable TV placed on the kitchen counter.

"What, like we aren't depressed enough?" Kitty asked. "You know that we aren't going to see anything that'll make our lives easier."

"True, but maybe we'll get to see that someone else's life IS." Scott pointed out.

"So this is what we've been reduced to? Making ourselves feel better by reveling in how bad someone else may have it?" Jean looked exasperated.

"Turn on Entertainment news." Remy called out. "If that doesn't make us feel better about ourselves, Remy don't know what will!"

"I'm on it." Rogue started flicking through the channels.

"Wait a second! Go back!" Peter barked. "I thought that I was seeing something."

"Wait, stop! There it is!" Scott ordered abruptly as they saw the middle of a newscast.

"—was seen on the steps of Capitol Hill today as the President made his remarks," A news anchor reported. "The Preident's statement in support of the Super-Hero Registration Act and the formation of an 'official' team of American heroes is being strongly supported by Iron Man, seen here standing with the President shortly after the address."

"That tin son of a bitch!" Amira slammed her fist down. "Uh, no offense Peter."

"None taken. I know what you mean." He grunted.

"This is going to give the Registration Act a shot in the arm." Rina observed. "Personally, I'd rather see it get a shot in the head."

"Amen sister!" Jubilee exclaimed. "This blows!"

"Wait, aren't Justice League members supposed to NOT make political comments like that?" Sam scratched his head.

"They're **aren't**." Jamie piped up. "Iron Man is going to be in SO much trouble…"

"Unless the League ends up supporting the Act in which case it won't really matter." Amira groaned.

"Do you think it has that kind of support?" Kurt asked.

"There are probably a number of heroes who wouldn't mind working together with their government." Tabitha guessed glumly.

"You know what the Latin word for work together is?" Gilaad remarked rhetorically. "_Collaborate_. And if America passes it, you can bet the rest of the world will follow suit and take the Superhuman Arms Race to a whole new level."

"Guess this means we're going to have to stay glued to the political fight going on here." Jean sighed. "And in the Justice League."

"I'd rather face Juggernaught any day." Scott grumbled.

"Too bad," Everyone turned around to see Emma Frost standing in the doorway. "Because you're all getting ringside seats to action on the Watchtower. They're having an internal debate on the Registration Act. And I want some of you there to watch it."

"Ohhh…fun." Scott moaned.

&&&


	18. Chapter 18

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**"You can get more done with a kind word and a two-by-four than a kind word alone." **

**-Marcus Cole, Babylon 5 **

&&&

Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Rogue, Remy, Peter, Gilaad, and Amira stood in awe as the watchtower's main auditorium was packed with superheroes of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions. Even more were watching Earthside from the Justice League's six embassies in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. They also had a seventh in Antarctica for some reason but only God knows why. Only a skeleton crew of heroes were still on duty, the rest were busy watching the debate that would start in but a few minutes.

"This is history in the making." Jean breathed as they sat in the back, along with a delegation from the Teen Titans International.

"I'd prefer the boring old business as usual." Robin replied. "This is going to be **bad**."

"Wow, and I thought **I** was pessimistic." Scott grumbled, but not disagreeing.

"Where's Batman and the other head honchos?" Amira asked.

"They're talking amongst themselves before the debate starts." Robin answered. "The Council's been in session all morning."

With the expansion of the Justice League to encompass virtually all of Earth's heroes its structure had to grow to adapt to it. It was described as a cross between a union and an NGO (non-governmental organization). Its leadership was now a council of twelve heroes: The original seven plus five other members chosen by the League at large to serve on the council and subject to replacement if the League as whole desired it. The original seven had permanent positions, not unlike the Big Five of the UN but they had no special voting or veto rights.

The Twelve took care of discipline, set the overall direction the League was going to take, and were authorized by the rest of the League to act as diplomats to the world's governments. The five elected positions were filled at present by Captain America, Iron Man, the Vision, Dr. Strange, and Aquaman.

"Come on Scott, these guys a superheroes!" Kurt exclaimed. "They'll know how to handle things."

"Yeah right." Rogue scoffed. "A bunch of guys with big muscles. They're SURE to solve everything!"

"They have no control over their emotions." Raven agreed somberly. "I can sense the tension in the air. This will not be a calm, measured debate…there will be a fight before the day is done."

Sure enough, in small groups and knots superheroes got together and looked to be arguing fiercely. It was like being in a bar and seeing a disagreement start…you had to know that a brawl would break out sooner or later.

In this case, the answer was SOONER.

"Aw come on!" Ben Grimm groaned, "I don't wanna get into this now."

"Too bad rock-head." Growled Guy Gardner, one of the secondary Green Lanterns of Earth. "I heard you talkin' a while ago…you want to put the whole League under the thumb of some bureaucrat just cuz Tony Stark wants to appease his sense of liberal guilt? Not happing!" He said as he jabbed his finger at The Thing's rocky chest. "Guy Gardner don't take orders from noone!"

"Oh yeah?" Grimm snapped as he batted Guy's finger away. "Then how come you get all weak-kneed when the Bat-freak looks your way?"

"That's it!" Guy roared as he lived up to his nick-name "Rambo with a Ring" by creating a giant green fist construct with his ring and socked The Thing in the face, sending him hurtling across the room.

Then everything hit the fan.

"No one hits rock-for-brains but ME!" Johnny "The Human Torch" Storm protested. "Flame on!" Flying through the air the Torch fired a fireball at Guy, who encased himself in a green force field.

"Leave Guy alone!" Ice defended him as she encased Johnny in ice.

"Back away from my brother!" Sue snapped as she threw a force field of her own around Ice.

"YOU back away from my best friend!" Fire retorted as the green-flamed Brazilian singed the Invisible Woman with a fireball of her own.

"SUE!" Reed Richards said as he came to her aid, trying to envelope Fire in his body.

"**Hey**!" Ralph "Elongated Man" Dibny protested as HE stepped in. "That's my _shtick_!" As if to prove his point, he stretched himself out and collided with Reeds, creating a gigantic writhing mass of rubbery limbs.

Then it was joined on all sides with pro- and anti-Registration heroes taking the chance to make their feelings known while indulging in that greatest of superhero activities: the pointless superhero brawl.

"Told you." Raven and Rogue told Kurt in unison.

"Dude…" Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "This is better than wrestling!"

"Oh yeah!" Cyborg whooped. "I got twenty bucks that says the Black Panther is still conscious when this is all over!"

"I've got thirty that says Ms. Marvel gets her head handed to her." Amira replied.

"I'll take that bet!" Remy covered her.

"Well, it's still better than a debate." Gilaad shrugged as he watched.

"We're talking about the law people! It's our job to uphold the law!" Bishop, a mutant from the future the X-Men had met before growled as he threw Wildcat off him. He reached for his weapon only to have an arrow knock it out of his hands.

"No, it's our duty to help people." The Huntress said as she reloaded her crossbow.

"_Vigilante_." Bishop hissed at her, his eye narrowing.

"You think that's an insult?" Huntress regarded him strangely. Bishop started to run towards her, but found himself tripping over the foot of The Question.

"Ooops." The Question said with his literally expression less non-face as he helped Bishop up…and then punched him in the nose.

"This is nuts!" James Rhodes, Warhammer, said as he lashed out with his armored, suit looking like a colorless version of Iron Man. "We're supposed to be on the same side!"

"Tell that to Iron Man." John Henry Irons, or Steel, said coldly as he, safely encased in his own suit of armor, slammed his giant hammer into Warhammer's gut.

"You're supposed to be a smart man Bill." Hank "Yellowjacket" Pym said as he grappled with Bill "Goliath" Foster, both of them in their giant forms, towering over the other heroes.

"I've heard the same…about you!" Goliath said as he tossed Pym to the ground.

On a countertop, Ray Palmer—the Atom—battled with Pym's ex-wife and fellow Avenger, Wasp. Both were so tiny that one could trap them both in a goldfish bowl. In the air, the Falcon dive-bombed Nighthawk. On the ground Etrigan bellowed in fury and pain as the white energy daggers produced by Dagger slammed into him, its desire to reform him was agonizing for the demon.

"This is insane." Wonder Man shook his head as he tried to stay out of it. Then someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around. "Huh?"

"This is for taking _my_ part in the latest Spielberg movie!" Booster Gold snapped as he slugged Wonder Man in the face.

"Any idea about what good this'll serve?" Spiderman asked as he swung through the room, avoiding Blue Beetle's smoke bombs.

"Got me." Beetle shrugged good-naturedly. "Still a good work out." He added right as he dodged getting webbing in his goggles. Unlike the others, they were bantering and not getting too worked up about the issue…especially since neither one of them had staked a position yet. Truth be told, most of the heroes fighting one another didn't know or didn't care where the other stood on the issue. In fact, most of them weren't even thinking about Registration. Every so often a hero coming off duty would poke their heads in and join in, not even knowing how the fight started. And with the Twelve still in a meeting there was no one around to make them stop.

"That's true." Spiderman returned. "So was there a reason you decided to make yourself look like The Tick?"

"Is there a reason you look like you're wearing a one piece suit?" Beetle snorted back.

"Hey Marvel!" Ms. Marvel looked up in time to see Super Girl barreling down on her. "YOU **SUCK**!" Kara cried as she ploughed Danvers right through the wall.

"Pay up!" Amira crowed.

"Remy thinks he shoulda kept his mouth closed," Gambit groaned.

"This is so stupid!" Robin slapped his forehead. "And the League looks down on the Titans because they think WE act like children? Heck, the Kids Next Door is better behaved than this!"

"I too am not appreciating the actions of these heroes of the super." Starfire agreed. "They are acting like…like…like a Clorbag Vorblernelk!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah…sure." Jean blinked.

"I'll handle it." Raven said as she stood. "They're pointless bickering is trying my patience."

"Uh-oh." Scott gulped as he shrunk down in his seat. The rest of the X-Men and Teen Titans did likewise. Knowing what was coming did nothing to prepare them for the horror of it:

Raven was **pissed**.

Her eyes glowing a familiar red, Raven spread her arms and her cloak spread out. A black shadow raven emerged and spread its wings, plunging the entire Watchtower into darkness. Its feral shriek was not that unlike the Phoenix's save that it brought a chilling dread to the soul of all who heard it. The fighting came to a complete and sudden stop.

"**ENOUGH**!" Raven raised her voice, her tone intense but still even. "You are all acting like **idiots**. You came here for a debate…**not** a mindless display of violence. So stop behaving like children and upsetting my mantra…are we **clear**?!"

"Yes Raven." Came a ragged chorus, underscored by more than a few gulps. Mighty heroes they were one and all…but Raven's temper and fearsomeness was second only to Batman's. Even demons did not mess around with daughter of Trigon.

"Good." Raven said as she powered down, the raven disappearing, lightening the room again. Her eyes returned to normal. "Because I would **hate** to have to do that again. So would you."

&&&

A/N: A side note: Be sure to check out L1701E's "Korvac Saga." It's great read and he's really helped me with some ideas I have planned for this story. Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19

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**"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. **

**This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. **

**When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree besides the river of truth, and tell the whole world--No YOU move." **

**-Captain America **

&&&

Not long after Raven broke up the brawl, the Justice League's leadership council arrived. It wasn't hard for them to figure out what had happened, what with all the bloody noses and bruises. In the interests of getting this 'debate' over with, they chose to overlook it.

It was a very tense situation as speaker after speaker came to the podium to voice their thoughts. Very few of them had any concrete ideas on just what Registration meant. Most underestimated its importance or its potential repercussions. Some urged working closer with the US government. Others urged to post-pone this whole issue, encouraging everyone to come together in spite of their views on Registrations. These were the people who understood the least of all what was at stake.

Then some of the more partisan members of the League had their say. The Falcon and Lucas Cage were vehement in denouncing the entire SHRA, the Black Panther was hardly any more restrained. The Huntress, the Question, Super Girl, Namor, and Heracles, Cloak and Dagger, Daredevil, and a number of others joined them in opposing the act.

Speaking on behalf of Registration was no less than Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket, both of whom fairly exuded their near-fanatical devotion to the act. They were supported by Miss Marvel, Nighthawk, She-Hulk, Wonder Man, USAgent, Bishop, Captain Atom, and even Green Arrow.

That last one was a bit of a surprise given his left-liberal viewpoint. When he announced his view that the Registration Act was a good idea, some Leaguers hit the roof. That's when Green Arrow had to defend himself.

"Hey, I'm the one of few guys in the room who doesn't have superpowers, and let me tell you, you guys scare me. What if you do decide to go down there, taking care of whoever you think is guilty? Who could stop you? Me?" 

"So you want the government to have a bunch of superhuman weapons just to keep us in check?" Supergirl argued. "Or force us all to become civil servants?" 

"No... I don't know...yeah!" Arrow retorted. "Look, I'm an old lefty. The government must do for people what people can't do for themselves. The people sure can't protect themselves from the likes of us." 

It went back and forth in this fashion for about an hour. The next interesting moment came when the remnants of X-Factor—the government endorsed team of mutants, mostly slaughtered during the Stamford Massacre—Karma, Willow, and Strong Guy appeared. They had joined the League after X-Factor dissolved.

"…The public doesn't need mutant vigilantes run by a rich telepath or a group of delinquents run by a group of insane gun toting maniacs to keep them safe." Karma argued. "I don't like the idea of Xavier—or FROST—having so much information about mutants and where to find them and what their powers are and not letting us know about it. I can understand his point about registration but it seems to me he's just trying to keep all that knowledge for himself so he can create his army." (&)

"Yeah, so you want the government to know all that so they can FORCE them into the army!" Amira called out from the rear. It was a breach of decorum but no one called her on it. "And apparently, the public DOES need us since YOU did such a bang-up job of keeping them safe!" Karma flushed.

"I owe you a drink." Gilaad whispered to Amira as Karma fairly fled of the stage. That moment aside, the X-Men and Titans couldn't help wincing at the way things were going. Most of the League didn't appreciate how dangerous the SHRA was and either downplayed its importance or went after the anti-Registration heroes for being too narrow-minded and sectarian.

Just as bad was the fact that virtually all the Avengers—save for Hawkeye and Spider-Woman—seemed to be for the act. That was bad news. Most Leaguers operated on their own; only assigned to work with other heroes for a specific mission, but not on a permanent basis. But there _were_ a number of teams of heroes who worked so well together that the League made those groups permanent. Other groups existed before the League did and simply maintained themselves within it: The Defenders, Champions,

Global Guardians, Doom Patrol, Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, Big Hero Six, Mighty Crusaders, Thrilling Three…all the way on down to the Road Rovers, TMNT, Mighty Ducks, and the Autobots.

Of all those groups though, none commanded as much respect—both in the League and without—as the Avengers. To hear virtually the whole team declare for the SHRA boded ill.

Scott looked back at the Justice League's High Council. He knew Batman would never support taking off his mask and he didn't expect the Flash to either.

Jon Stewart posed a problem. HIS identity was well known. Most heroes rarely ever shared their true identities with one another, let alone publicly. He was ex-Marine…did that mean he would follow other veterans, like the former Airforce members Captain Atom and Miss Marvel in supporting the act? He didn't know. Wonder Woman's identity wasn't a closely guarded secret either. Shayera Hol and J'onn were hard to gage…they weren't human and so didn't have the same problems that other heroes had. Superman was a bit of a boy scout and known to cooperate with the authorities…would he support the act? By agreement, the original Seven Justice League members—the Founders—wouldn't participate in the debate. But the five temporary members of the Council could. Dr. Strange and the Vision weren't likely to comply…and for Aquaman to cooperate with a surface government like that was not even a possibility!

Iron Man's position was already established. And who could have any doubts on where Captain America would stand? The symbol of the nation, leader of the Avengers, patriot numero uno…this was a no brainer. Right?

Finally, Iron Man took a stand behind the podium. "We all know that the Stamford Massacre was a horrible crime any one of us would've given their life to prevent. But we were not able to do that, because we were not trusted. And I'm afraid that in that regard, we **are** to blame." This prompted a general outcry and shouts of outrage directed against Iron Man that took several minutes to subside. "I know I've touched a nerve with my remark, but deep down you all know it to be true. We are gifted individuals that have sworn to use to the betterment of all humanity…however there is no oversight for our activities. We are all vigilantes, rogues, and renegades. Ordinary people have no way to seek a redress against us should we do wrong by them, nor are we called to account for ourselves. No government can truly trust individuals with the power to level cities, command the elements, and are in charge of a space-born laser that constitutes as a weapon of mass destruction. We have never offered the government of the United States, or any other government, a reason to trust us. We hide behind masks and beyond the authority of elected officials. Now we know what the price for our distance from ordinary people is. And it was the people of Stamford who paid it. This is why I say that the time has come to Register with our governments and receive proper training."

"I've offered to put together a team of superheroes specifically sanctioned and authorized by the US Government, ones whose identities would be known to the government—and the general public should they choose it."

"We can not leave the future of the public in the hands of dangerous half-trained groups with a penchant for chaos and destruction that erodes public and governmental trust in heroes."

"They're talking about **US**." Scott hissed to Jean as they felt Iron Man's gaze.

Iron Man concluded by saying: "We can't go back to the way things were…we can only go forward. It's either registration…or the banning of superheroes." Then he walked off the stand to a mixture of applause and outrage.

"That tin-plated traitor." Amira growled as she half-rose from her seat, her hand clenched into a fist. "That's it. For the next ten minutes I'm **not** an X-Man."

"Sit down." Gilaad hissed at her as he grabbed her arm. "That's not going to help!" 

"It'll make ME feel better." She growled, but relented. Then she winced when she saw who the next speaker was. "Great. It's Flag-Face."

"Terrific." Rogue rolled her eyes as Captain America walked up. "After all the headaches the Misfits have caused him there's no way he's going to oppose the act."

"On the other hand, having seen what government supported mutants turned out like maybe he'll have second thoughts." Scott pointed out.

Captain America stood behind the podium and looked out over the audience. When he started talking no one could believe what he was saying.

"In considering this act I want us all here to remember why we became heroes…and more importantly…remember what a hero **is.**

"I became a hero—I volunteered, I CHOSE to become a hero—to fight a state that assumed that it was the obligation and duty of the people to serve the state instead of the other way around. A line of thinking that seems to underline this act: That the state should protect the rights of one group of people by taking away the rights of another; that the state exists to control people, not guarantee their rights. This act seeks to coerce anyone with abilities deemed to be above the 'human norm' or to simply wish to help people in whatever way they can to spend the rest of their lives under government authority to an extent that even sex offenders aren't required. Registrations PRESUMES guilt; it goes dead set against the idea that a man is innocent until proven guilty. A society where the citizens don't trust one another and look to give more power in the hands of the government in the name of safety is a recipe for tyranny."

"Back when I, the original Human Torch, Namor and the rest of the Invaders started to fight I remember people saying that this wasn't the Wild West anymore. Yet when the Red Skull appeared on the scene, there was no one else who could stop him."

"The goal of this act is to make us as controllable and malleable as civil servants. To stop thinking for ourselves and accept what we're told to do, regardless of whether or not it is just. Heroes make a choice. Being a hero is ABOUT making choices. Registering people takes away that choice. When being a hero stops being about your choices and decisions or a matter of your character and becomes an obligation or job… we all know that when you're forced to do a thing when your heart isn't into it, it goes down hill. If you're a postman it's one thing…when you're a hero it's another."

"We serve the principles of justice. We advise, we cooperate with the world governments, but we do not seek power, we do not seek to govern or to rule. Thus we remain both a part of, and apart from, the government. This prevents us from becoming the 'Justice Lords'…" A reference to an alternate reality version of the Justice League that ruled Earth in the name of 'justice' "…but also prevents us from becoming subject to carrying out the every whim of the politicians and power seekers. We are heroes, ladies and gentlemen. It's our job to protect the weak and stop the wicked. It's NOT our job to police the lives of the average citizen; to be the super-cops and trained bloodhounds: A force of secret-servicemen, SHIELD agents, and wardens of an entire population. How can democracy survive when the government can order an army of superheroes around at a whim? How can anyone think of changing their stock in life when the status quo is guarded by men and women who can bench press an armor car?

"If we become part of the power structure, we'll be forced to carry out any law passed…regardless of whether or not it was just. Think of all the laws that even the most democratic countries have passed at one time or another and think of what it would be like to be the ones to carry them out. Our job is to uphold the ideals of justice. We're the JUSTICE League, not the Layer's Guild.

"How many of us want to be charged with carrying out crowd control? Intimidating protestors and discouraging the average citizen from ever thinking that they can change the system if we're there to defend the status quo. Who wants to be the border guard? Instead of stopping criminals and monsters, we'd spend our days dragging back innocent people whose only crime was trying to get into a country that offers more opportunities then their old one? In an age of wire-tapping and 'enemy combatants' how long do you think it'll be before we're instructed to read the minds of suspect terrorists, rip information from the minds of the accused? Even physically torture them?"

"If we were subject to carry out every instruction that came from a government bureaucrat, our ability to actually help people would be hampered. If a hurricane struck Cuba or an earthquake hit Iran, I know I would still go and help the **people** of those countries, regardless of what I think of their governments. Do you think we would be allowed to do such basic humanitarian acts if we were told who we could help or not help by the State Department or the NSA?

"This act is also trying to control our lives when we take off our costumes…most of us here have lives beyond what we do here. Trying to reveal ourselves and by trying to turn us into paid wage earners is an attempt to take away any independent lives we have, so that the government becomes our only source of income, increasing out dependence on them."

It's been argued that, based on the positive experiences of a fortunate few that we should all reveal our actually identities. To those who advocate this I would look to the X-Men. When their identities became publicly known they, their families and loved ones became subject to harassment, threats, and violence."

Remember our predecessors…the Justice Society of America chose to disband in 1951 rather than appear in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, which demanded that they unmask themselves. Had they not done so how long do you think it would've been before they were forced to report on heroes with alleged communist sympathies? Our dragged into the FBI's COINTELPRO agenda?"

Remember Steve Tremaine…The Eagle. He surrendered his mask, revealed himself to the HUAC…and was then slandered and pilloried when he was found to have kept up a casual friendship with a Russian hero—Ivan Petrovich, 'The Bear' after they worked together against the Nazis. He was forbidden to put on the mask again and fight crime. He refused. The result was a media witch hunt, death threats, even beatings by ex-Nazis that were now on the FBI payroll during the cold war. Then they placed him in Alcatraz along with the criminals he helped arrest. Then those same Nazis then attempted to detonate a nuclear device in San Francisco. They were only stopped because the Eagle broke out of prison and stopped them…against his orders to leave the mask off. He saved the city."** (&&)**

That is what Registration looks like people."

"I actually do understand the fear that people have at the idea of people with our gifts…but ask yourselves; which is scarier? Having heroes that aren't beholden to anyone…or having all the heroes of Earth beholden to no one BUT their government?"

"I leave that choice…and the choice of who we are and what we're about…up to you." Captain America turned and walked off, not even awaiting for a reply. There was none, other than stunned, dumbfounded silence. Save for a few of Caps allies in the Anti-Registration crowd and the other members of the Justice League Council, no one knew of his opposition to the act. Most figured he'd support it. They were wrong.

The Titans and X-Men were dumbfounded, but with joy. The leader of the Avengers had just denounced Registration in front of the entire Justice League. "…I never thought I could bring myself to like that walking propaganda poster." Amira whispered, wide-eyed. Silently, the others just nodded.

&&&

(**&**) Taken directly from Red Witch's _Days of Our Mutant Lives (_Chap. 76. Karma annoyed me so much that I just HAD to take this chance to refute her.

(**&&**) Red Menace (a six part comic)


	20. Chapter 20

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**"Why should I want to make anything up? Life's bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it." **

** -Marvin the Paranoid Android, The Resturant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams**

&&&

As Captain America was busy setting the super-hero community on its ear, Wavedancer—Althea Delgado, leader of the Misfits—was feeling like something of the same nature had happened to her.

She still wasn't sure what had happened. When General Hawk had came and ordered the Misfits into guarding some port that where some cargo ships were going to depart. Althea supposed that Hawk's unhappy look when he gave her the orders should've been a clue, but even that couldn't prepare her for what the mission actually WAS.

The Misfits were playing guard to ships sending military material, aid to the government of Genosha.

"Come on Al, this is absolutely bogus!" Todd exclaimed, not for the first time that day.

"Yeah, I'm missing my Soaps for this?" Pietro complained.

Xi's yellow eyes rolled expressively. "Nice to see that you're keeping aware of what's truly important." He looked at Pietro.

"If they wanted us to guard a weapon's shipment you THINK they could at least tell us!" Wanda seethed, clenching her hands. "It's as if they're saying they don't trust us to do our job if it involves other mutants!"

Fred nodded eagerly. "Yeah! And I mean they trust us to keep an eye on the X-Men, right? And keep them out of trouble?"

"…When you put it that way I'm starting to see the army's point." Wanda groaned.

Althea decided to step in. "Look, we all agree that this assignment…and the fact that we weren't trusted enough to be told about it in advance…bites. But we can't always do what we want. And if we don't do the jobs we **don't** like they'll **never** trust us to do the stuff that we do!"

"Yeah…it feels like it's been ages since we trashed a Cobra base." Todd sighed in an almost wistful manner.

"We destroyed one last week." Lance reminded him archly, looking at him like he was nuts. Todd just waved him off.

"Nah, that was just a brothel that the Cobra High Command liked to frequent."

"Speaking of which, you guys never DID explain just WHAT you were doing there." Althea looked at them. "And why you couldn't bother to invite ME!"

"Smoopsy it's not what you think—" Todd started to defend himself when Lina flew down in a rush, back from patrol.

"Guys!" She blurted, out of breath and fairly panting. "…You…you have to see…" She gasped. The others turned in time to see several large, flat trucks carrying something concealed under a tarp. Something BIG.

A gust of wind blew the tarp back over part of the object—revealing a giant purple metal hand.

"You're shitting me." Althea said, her stomach churning. They were guarding the transportation of SENTINELS.

"Aww **man**!" Todd groaned. "This is a **disaster**!"

"Not yet it isn't." An all too familiar voice said from above them. They looked up. "But it soon will be…"

"Oh crap." Lance winced.

"…for **them**." Magneto finished as he hovered above them, a dozen of his metal orbs descending as he spoke, unleashing his Acolytes.

Althea groaned. Having to fight Magneto and his troops in order to defend a bunch of Sentinels. "Well isn't this the pickle on the giant crap sandwich that is my day."

&&&


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sorry for the super-long absence. I've been busy with other projects, work, and a massive case of writers-block. Hopefully this'll help me get back into the swing of things. Enjoy.**

&

General Eddington glowered at the Misfits as they stood in his office, flanked by General Hawk. None of them had been offered a seat and were still standing at attention.

He let the silence stretch out for a solid ten minutes before he finally spoke. "Well," He said. "You've screwed up royal."

"Sir, I—" Althea's attempt to defend themselves was stopped before it ever began.

"Enough!" Eddington barked. "Spare me the excuses, I saw the reports. When confronted with Magneto and his terrorists the Sentinels were activated to apprehened them. Your team HELPED Magneto's group attack and destroy the Sentinels, letting them get away AND denying Genosha the Sentinels!"

"Those Sentinels attacked the Acolytes and US indiscriminantly!" Althea snapped. "Not to mention causing extensive destruction to everyone around them, including jeapordizing the lives of the docking crews! We didn't **want** to fight the Sentinels but we HAD to! And by the time the Sentinels were stopped, we were exhausted and Magneto and his lackeys had already bolted."

Eddington didn't bat an eye. "HOW, convenient." He drawled.

Althea took a deep breath. "General, with all due respect, one has to wonder at intelligence of using older-model Sentinels that were made of metal. Magneto tore them apart like they were made of kinder. Even if the Sentienel's hadn't forced us to defend ourselves, Magneto would've torn them apart anyway."

"They were what we had available." Eddington said shortly. "The military has been...developing more advanced Sentinels for deployment. The ones we were giving to the Genoshans were surplus."

Todd couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Then hey, what's the problem? Just send some of those to Genosha...no harm, no foul right?" General Eddington stared at him like something he scraped off his boots.

"...There was a malfunction with the new prototype Sentinel." He said finally. "It self-destructed, taking out the research faciliy, as well as Generals Lazar, Kincaid, Eiling, and Ross.

General Hawk look dumfounded. "You mean, they're ALL dead?"

"Don't sound so upset Hawk." Eddington sneered. "I know you must be happy."

"Happy?!"

Eddington nodded at him. "None of them like you or you them. They're policies were all diametrically opposed to yours, and with them gone...it means you have that much better a chance to rise in ranks." Hawk grew stormy.

"THAT, General, is a load of crap." Eddington waved his denial off.

"If you say so, General Hawk. However the facts remain the same: The Sentinels for Genosha are gone. The new Sentinels will not be completed soon enough. So that means," An unfriendly look lit up his eyes. "That SOMEONE has to go to Genosha to fight the mutant rebels." His gaze fell upon the Misfits.

Hawk expoloded. "No, **absolutely** not!"

"The mission...has already been approved, GENERAL." Eddington said. "Either your crew of Misfits goes...or they get written up on charges for desertion AND for colloborating with Magneto's crew. They're wanted terrorists and you of all people should know what happens to people accused of terrorism these days...or those accused of HELPING terrorists..."

"We'll go general." Althea said quickly, all the while fuming at Eddington's underhandedness.

"And G.I. Joe will go with them." Hawk snarled. "The Misfits won't be dropped alone into Genosha!"

Eddington kept his faced schooled to hide what he was thinking. He smiled amiably "As you wish General Hawk. I certainly won't stand in your way."

"No, I'm sure you'll be behind us." Hawk agreed, then mentally added. "_Ready to stick a knife in our backs._"

&


	22. Chapter 22

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**"May you live in interesting times."**

**-Ancient Curse**

&

Upon returning to the Mansion after the 'debate' at the Watchtower, the X-Men just wanted a few minutes of peace and quiet before the you-know-what started hitting the fan. They might as well have wished for the moon.

"Okay, what's going on NOW?" Scott groaned as he saw the way everyone was acting. "Rahne's acting like someone ran over her dog and everyone else is looking at Catseye and Tigra like they're the sisters of Typhoid Mary. What the hell?"

Logan grunted as he sat on the couch, trying his darndest to ignore all the crazy kids he had to deal with. "Personality conflicts. Friendship issues. Teen angst. The usual. How was the Justice League Debate?"

"Just replace the word 'teen' with 'adult' and you'd have basically the same thing." Rogue shrugged. "And add in politics. Wanna trade places with us?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "No lesser of evils there..." A small explosion came from upstairs. "Great." He snorted.

"Tabby?" Jean guessed shrewdly. "Sounded like one of hers."

"Yeah—she REALLY doesn't like Tigra." Logan shrugged.

Scott deadpanned. "Never would've guessed."

"I'll take care of it." Jean sighed as she floated up the stairs. Jamie came in from the kitchen.

"Hey guys! How was the Watchtower? Was it cool? Did you see a lot of super heroes? What was it like?"

Amira shrugged and waggled her hand. "It was 'meh.' Really, you put a bunch of neanderthals in spandex and you'd get a pretty good picture of what three-quarters of the League is like. The rest are a bunch of snake-oil salesmen."

"Like Iron Man." Gilaad snorted. "What a total and complete ass. I can't imagine why ANYONE would like him."

"I hear he's got a movie deal." Remy remarked.

Amira rolled her eyes. "Please, who would want to see THAT?"

The doorbell rang, cutting off general movie conversations. "Someone ought to get that." Logan said.

"Rogue get the door." Scott said as he walked off.

"I'm not getting it, let soldier-boy get it." She pointed to Gilaad.

"Well I'm not getting it, let the Amira get it." He pointed to her.

"Let the swamp-rat get it." Amira snorted as she walked away.

Remy crossed his arms, "Let th' boy get it _hommes_."

"I already DID." Jamie said from the front door. "Geeze if you guys took any longer...hey guys?" Jamie called. "We got an alien at the front door!"

"Good alien or bad alien?" A bored-sounding Logan shouted.

"...Um, he hasn't ripped my head off or shouted his name and a general threat to the galaxy yet."

"Must be a good one then." Logan rolled his eyes and got up. "I'm coming—Whoa. Big one."

"Ah, yer just short ya poozer." A large, pinkish giant of an alien with a somewhat pig-like face in a black and green uniform squeezed through the door. "Killowog of the Green Lantern Corps. How ya doing?"

Rogue shrugged. "Just another day, so far."

Killowog scratched his head. "Well, I got some goods news and a lot of bads new for you."

"I don't suppose you can just tell us the first part and then leave?" Amira asked. Killowog looked at her strangely, then shrugged. "Nevermind...might as well get the others."

"_I'm already on it." _Emma telepathically informed her before sending out a more general announcement. "_We have an alien guest in the foyer with news. You know the drill._" Amid some grumbling, the whole Mansion turned out to hear Killowog. Rahne stood by herself on one side of the room, alone in her misery. Catseye and Tigra were neatly kept on the opposite side by Tabby and Jubilee, who kept between them and Rahne, shooting glares at the two cat-girls all the while. The others, uncomfortably, found their own locations as far from the drama as possible.

Killowog tried squeezing into one of the chairs but had to give it up as a bad job. "Okay, you poozers I don't have a lot of time so I'll keep this short. Good news: we think we have a lead on one the artifacts!"

A wave of murmuring broke out and everyone unconsciously leaned forward a little. When Unicron's arrival had been announced the intergalactic trickster Q had told them that the one being who could stop Unicron—Primus had been sepereated into two artifiacts. If they could find both of them, then Unicron could be stopped. And here they had one!

"Wait, a LEAD? As in, not actually found it yet?" Rogue asked, neatly undercutting the growing excitement.

Killowog shifted. "Eh, sorta."

"SORTA?!" Everyone shouted, save Frost who had just enough control to keep from doing so.

Killowog sighed. "Well, recently the Green Lantern Corps found out that there are these...entities. You see, it turns out that there's an emotional spectrum that most sentient speices feel, each having a corresponding color. Red for hatred, orange for greed, yellow for fear, green for willpower, blue for hope, indigo for compassion, and violet for love. The Corps uses Green energy because, being in the middle of the spectrum, is the most stable. They energy gets more and more uncontrollable the farther you go from the center."

"...And your point?" Logan grumbled. Killowog ignored him.

"Well, see, this spectrum, manifests itself seven creatures. One for each color. Parallax the fear entity, Ion the entity of willpower and so on. Salaak has done some research and those seven entities COULD have originated from that Primus guy."

"That's great!" Jean exclaimed.

Beast raised a furry eyebrow. "I thought there were TWO artifacts. Not seven."

Logan just looked at him. "The guy SAID they are once one item, Beast." Beast nodded.

"I heard him Logan—" Beast glared at him. "But my point is this: if Primus was originally divided into two entities and then one of them was divided into seven...what's to stop the original two from being divided again and again?"

A gloomy, thoughtful silence fell on them. "That could make things...complicated." Emma opined.

"Can you at least bring these seven...entities to Earth?" Storm asked Killowog. The big alien shook his massive head.

"Remember the bad news I mentioned? Well, aside from the fact that the Corps draws its energy from Ion—we only know where two of the seven entities are."

Jean frowned as she figured something out. "Wait...if there are seven colors in this emotional spectrum, then what's to stop there from being **SEVEN** Lantern Corps?"

Killowog winced. "That's some more of the bad news. The Green Lantern Corps wont be of much help to you guys during yer fight with the supervillains of your world..."

"WHAT? Why?" Everyone started demanding.

The Green Lantern trainer sighed. "You know Sinestro? The rogue ex-lantern?"

Gilaad nodded. "Yeah, he was working with the Luthor villain faction for a while, then vanished."

"Well, that's because he decided to start a league of his own." Killowog sighed. "He went and created a corps that uses yellow power rings...he calls it the Sinestro Corps. It's currently at war with us Green Lanterns all across the cosmos!"

"...That could be a problem." Amira deadpanned.

"You ain't kidding." Killowog said. "Aside from Jon Stewart and Guy, all available Green Lanterns are needed to help stop the Sinestro Corps. Earth is on its own on this...sorry."

"Marvelous..." Scott rubbed his head. "At least we can send some Justice League types out to gather those seven...whatevers."

"In the meantime we still have to find the other artifact—or artifacts—fight the supervillains of the world, the Registration Act, Shao-kahn—"

Killowog waved his hand. "Oh, I fergot to tell you, you don't have to worry about him no more."

"Really?" Jean brightened.

The big alien nodded. "Oh yeah, the Anti-Monitor killed him two weeks ago. Now HE'S got his sights set on Earth."

"...Oh." Jean's face fell. "...Is he worse than Shao-kahn?"

"Oh YEAH." Killowog nodded. "He's helping Sinestro run his yellow Corps. Right now they're focusing on the Green Lantern Corps but they'll turn to Earth soon enough...so you guys better clean your own house and FAST."

Amira shut her eyes and leaned back, "And to think, just a few minutes ago I thought the biggest immediate concern was Iron Man..."

&


	23. Chapter 23

_The Misfits and the Joes had been fighting in Genosha for nearly a month. Their mission—under the auspices of the UN—has been to try to stabilize the minority human government against an insurrection by the mutant majority. From Althea's episodic mail, it was a far cry from the simple peace-keeping mission that had been pitched to them. But knowing Eddington that was to be expected. What they weren't expecting was the sheer depth of hatred dished out to them...by the rebelling mutants of Genosha and even by the human government they were supporting._

_Amira and Gilaad had vanished from the Institute, probably carrying out some special assignment for Frost. Ugh, I *STILL* can't believe she was running things...hate to admit it: we could've done worse. But still, what she did while the Misfits were away was one of the most under-handed, devious things I'd ever seen. Even in the maelstrom of the Supervillain Civil War, the Registration Act controversy, the coming of Unicron, and the War of Light, Frost's maneuverings deserve a special mention of their own._

_I wish I could say that what Frost did was wrong...it wasn't, not entirely; it bought us time. The most that can be said for it was that it was necessary, probably even the best option open. But that doesn't make up for the lives she ruined in the process._

_-From the Autobiography of Katherine Pryde, "Intangible, Not Untouchable"_

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**A/N: Sorry for the brevity, but things will be picking up soon! Sorry for the long absence.**


	24. Chapter 24

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Rogue laid on the couch, idly thumbing through a book. Rahne sat on the floor, her knees tucked under her chin as she watched TV.

Finally, she felt she had to ask. "...Rahne, _why _are you watching re-runs of Meerkat Manor?"

Rahne shrugged, not turning around. "'dunno. Like it."

Rolling her eyes, Rogue asked. "Look, it's a cool show and all—but why aren't you doing something with Catseye?"

Rahne sighed. "She's busy with Tigra. Besides, this show kinda gives me...perspective, ya know?"

"....say again?" The goth girl blinked. "How can a show about a bunch of meerkats possibly give you any perspective on our bizarre lives?"

"Think about it: the Whiskers struggle from day to day just to stay alive. They have fights and politics within their family and feuds with other families; the Lazuli, the Zappa, the Commandos and a host of others. They have adventures, fights, tragedies...and Flower reminds me of Frost: Powerful, strong, but sometimes even cold and ruthless when it comes to protecting her own. I think Mozart is kinda like Storm: emotional, caring but often on the outs with Flower."

Rogue snorted. "Look, if you've started matching us up with meerkats you've officially been watching this show too much."

"Not like I've got much else to do." Rahne murmured. "The Misfits are off in Genosha, Sharon's with Greer, and everyone else is busy worrying about Registration, the Supervillain, the Anti-Monitor, or Unicron."

That much Rogue couldn't argue with. Things were getting pretty heavy...too heavy to pay overmuch attention to your typical teenage drama. "Look...you tried just—talking with Catseye?" She rolled her eyes. "I mean, I know it isn't zany, crazy, or weird but it might just work. I don't think either she or Greer are mean spirited or doing this to you on purpose." Frost was another story but Rogue didn't comment on that.

Rahne looked unsure. "But what if Frost is right to keep me away from Sharon?"

"...Okay, now you're making less sense than you did with the meerkats." Rogue looked at her sideways. "Wanna try that again?"

Sighing, Rahne gesticulated. "Look...Sharon—she's only going to live another twenty years. And it's because of me." She looked down. "My relative did it, helping my friends, to save my life. Maybe she'd have a better life without me—what's left of it." She added bitterly.

"Yeah, cuz she had SUCH a great life before she met you." Rogue said sarcastically. "Ya know, with the whole almost being slaughtered at the attack on the Massachusetts Academy and having her memories tampered with to make her think she was raped. Clearly, meeting you was the worst thing that ever happened to her." Rogue pursed her lips and blew a stray hair out of her face. "Look, I'm not good with all this 'friendship pep talk' stuff, but I think you could do worse than to talk things out...it's better than saying nothing—or letting Tabby keep dropping bombs wherever Tigra and Catseye are."

"Maybe you're right." Rahne sighed. "But what if Frost doesn't let me talk to her."

"Frosty'll be busy for a while. I just saw some guy in a suit head up to her office. Looks important. Should keep her busy while you talk." Rahne nodded, getting up.

"Thanks, Rogue." The red-haired Scot got up and headed for the door.

"No problem." Rogue waved back. "Say Rahne?"

"...Yeah?" She paused, her hand on the door.

"Which meerkat am I?"

"Tosca." Rahne said simply. Rogue nodded.

"M'kay." Rogue went back to reading, not knowing that 'guy in a suit' was one Tony Stark—and that he and Emma Frost were making history even as she spoke.

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	25. Chapter 25

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"Emma Frost."

"Tony Stark."

The pleasantries were icier than Emma's surname. The blond heiress and the dark-haired industrialist sat across from one another on opposite sides of the desk that was once Charles Xavier's. Emma idly sipped some champaign from a crystal snifter, a relic from her Hellfire days. The presence of the alcohol on the table was a calculated insult; she knew full well of Stark's problems with alcohol. She just enjoyed watching him squirm as she offered him a glass.

"So...what does the government's favorite superhero want with me?" Emma asked coolly. Stark kept his face still and his mind steady. He didn't allow Emma to read so much as a stray daydream.

Tony Stark—Iron Man—was currently the leading advocate of Superhero registration. Not exactly the most popular of positions to hold within the Superhero community that was organized into the Justice League. His main supporters were Hank Pym, Richard Reed, Miss Marvel, Nighthawk, She-Hulk, Wonder Man, USAgent, and Bishop. Even Captain Atom withdrew his support from the act--of course it was General Eileen's death that removed Atom from being his pawn in this whole thing.

"I'm here to make a business proposition to you." Stark said evenly.

Emma sighed. "Business man or not, that is an over used cliché stark. But I suppose it would've been too much to ask that you be born with money, looks, AND originality."

Stark looked slightly annoyed but otherwise gave no sign of rising to the bait. "Emma, we can help each other. If you were to throw your support behind the Super Hero Registration Act—"

"And why would I do that?" Emma frowned. "When they want all mutants to be registered too? Why shouldn't we just tattoo gigantic bullseyes on our heads while we're at it? Or numbers on our arms?"

"That is a ridiculous comparison!" Stark snorted. "America is not Nazi Germany."

"I think mutants have a different view than a billionaire industrialist...especially when they're being murdered for the crime of being **born."**

Stark quickly decided to come to the main point. "Look Emma...if you help me convince the bulk of the League to line up behind the SHRA I can personally guarantee that the Justice League—and the American government—can be persuaded to do more to help mutant populations. We can work within the system to make it better! You can't do that if you're left on the outside. Give the SHRA some support...use the X-Men to bring some mutant terrorists like Magneto to justice and that will help give you the credibility with the government you need to make things better for mutants. More than anything you can do on your own."

"Until we're no longer needed of course—then we'll be rounded up and dragged into camps." Emma sneered. "People—especially politicians—fear what they do not have. They will try to control it for as long as they can and then destroy it when they fear they can't control it anymore." She crossed her arms. "Magneto is a menace...not least for his experiments on mutantkind and his messiah-complex. But the single greatest threat to mutants—and to metahumans, near-humans and normal humans—is not Magneto. Maybe it's soothe your conscience a little if you have mutants arresting mutants, rounding up and jailing mutants, killing mutants instead of having humans do it themselves...but it's still oppression."

Stark's face went stony. "I have one last thing to offer you then...and it won't require you or the X-Men to offer any support to the SHRA. Not a cent, not a statement."

Emma said nothing, so Stark continued. "There's a list...a list of every superhero and metahuman on Earth. It lists their true identities, their powers and their weaknesses in case they ever went rogue." He gave a wane smile. "Batman put it together...he calls it his 'Protocols.' See Emma? Even the Justice League accepts the basic principle behind superhero registration."

"And you know of these 'Protocols' how?" Emma quirked a brow.

"I have my ways." Stark said smoothly. "If you and the X-Men help me get that list from the Watchtower, then I will have Stark Industries and the US Government put their best minds together to help your daughter Sharon have a normal lifespan." Emma's face went dead pale, her fingers digging into the desk as she went into her diamond form.

"Get out." Emma breathed with the soft, quiet tone of one very close to exploding.

Stark rose. "I realize this must be upsetting for you...you can give me a call later when you've had time to think it over." He nodded slightly and started towards the door. He paused at the threshold. "And Emma? ...This is for the best. For everyone."

Stark walked out, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts.

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End file.
